A Christmas Cori: Overcoming Death
by blizzardgrande
Summary: Christmas Eve for Tori Vega goes unexpected as a certain red-head visits her. And Cat did not come for greetings and cookies. She came for help and support. And her life is followed by one tragic event to another. At least Cat has Tori with her to conquer them all. CORI. Rated M for dark themes and such.
1. Chapter 1

**So, this is my first crack at a fanfic. I hope all goes well. ****I have seen a ton of Christmas Jori fanfics here. So I thought about making something different. This story takes place a few days after A Christmas Tori. ****Rated T for now - possibly M in the near future.**

**Disclaimer: Is owning VICTORiOUS worth it? Absolutely! But I don't have the money, so no, I don't own it. I own a flip phone, though!**

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><p><strong>Tori's POV<strong>

December 24th, 2012. 8:00 PM. Christmas Eve. The day before the actual holiday. The time where families and relatives get together for a heck of a good time, eating lavish meals, exchanging presents wrapped in colorful gift wrappers, and tell humorous stories about their lives. Right now, you would think I'm with my whole family hanging out the mall or visiting aunts, uncles and cousins. However, that is not the case. You see, my dad, the police officer, is on duty today and won't come back until 10 PM. It sucks not to have him at our Christmas Eve dinner but work is work. Heck, I would do the same too, over time pay is pretty decent, especially for a cop. At the moment, it's just me, my sister Trina, and my mom celebrating Christmas Eve. I could have invited my friends over but they have their own family, too. I didn't want to disrupt their own plans. Mom made her amazingly delicious Vega family pot pie! Not a bad way to celebrate Christmas Eve. We're about to indulge ourselves in heaven in the form of a pot pie when the door bell rang.

"Must be Christmas carolers. Tori, grab twenty bucks from my purse." My mom tells me. I do just that and head for the door. I was expecting some singers singing some cheery holiday songs but when I turned the knob and opened the front door, I was greeted by a different kind of singer.

"Cat? What are you doing here?" I haven't seen her since last Friday where we sang for André's music teacher, Anthony, helping André get the A he deserves. I'm a bit surprised to see her here at my house, though. I have two reasons. One, she has her own family and I'm assuming they would be celebrating together. And two, I didn't invite her here. But then again, we always go to each other's houses unexpectedly. That's what best friends do, right? Still, I'm shocked to see her here but happy, nonetheless. I forgot, I still have the twenty dollars in my hand. I shove the bill immediately in my pocket.

"Hey Tori." She says. She sounds so solemn, like that time when she heard about the local pet store closing down. She's wearing dark clothes just like that time too (she protested in front of the store itself). Usually, she's wearing something bright and colorful that makes Jade puke, but now, she's wearing a black sweater and ripped denim jeans (black, too) similar to what Jade usually wears. "Can I come in?" She asks with a pout almost devouring her upper lip. I can't say to that now, can I? Even with the dark colors surrounding her body, she still manages to look cute, especially with that pout.

"Of course. Merry Christmas, by the way." I greet her as she enters the house. She responds to my holiday greeting with a simple 'Yeah'. She kicks off her sneakers and immediately proceeds to sit on my couch, legs lifted so she is hugging her knees. Now I know something is definitely up with her. She doesn't even seem to notice my sister and mom in the same room as her.

"Hi Cat. Merry Christmas sweetie. Come and sit with us. We have pot pie. It's delicious." My mom invites her to eat. She just shakes her head and politely replies no. Apparently, she didn't want to eat because this moment is reserved for the Vega's only and she shouldn't interrupt with our dinner. Well, she did kinda interrupt us before eating. That doesn't matter now, because I would have let her in anyway, even if her reason was just to greet us a Merry Christmas and give us a platter of home made cookies. I try to console Cat but she insisted that I should eat first and have a good time with my family. She insists. Well, I guess I'll talk to her later. There is a meat pie made in a pot waiting for me and I don't want to eat it cold. I sit down on the chair where I could see Cat clearly while I'm feasting on this pot pie. Damn, my mom never fails me. This pot pie is the best so far. Maybe, I'll save some for Cat later. We, the Vega's, try to strike up a conversation with each other but the awkward tension prevents us from doing. That and we are really gobbling up this pot pie so fast, we couldn't even try to speak. I take a few glances at Cat while I'm eating. She's just sitting there, knees hugged close to her chest, eyes downcast, like she's about to cry. Me being the best friend I am, I actually stop for a minute and walk towards her. She doesn't even look up at me when I sit down next to her.

"Is everything alright?" I ask her. She seems hesitant at first to answer, but she doesn't give me the clichéd answer of 'I'm fine'.

"No. I-I'll talk to you later. You should enjoy this moment with your... family." At that moment, she looks me in the eye. Wow, her eyes tell the story. They're filled with sorrow and forlorn. I observed something else, too. She choked a bit before finishing her sentence. Does her problem involve her family? I guess I'll have to wait until after dinner to find out for myself. I return to my seat with my mom giving me a worried look. Usually, Trina doesn't really care about her that much. 'If it doesn't involve me, I don't care.' That's what she'd say. But this time, she seems a bit concerned with Cat. Just a bit, though, as she still keeps on munching on the pot pie. I turn my attention to my mother who is looking at the red head on our couch with worry.

"Is there a problem? She's seems upset." My mom's voice is filled with genuine concern.

"Yeah. I'm gonna talk to her after dinner. She probably wants to confide in me privately, whatever her problem is." I tell my mom. I will help her. Or at least, try to.

"Maybe she got kicked out of the house." Trina suddenly interjects while shoving a spoonful of pot pie in her not really talented mouth.

"Trina! You're not helping. Plus, she can hear you." I screamed at her. Well, not really screamed per se. Just raised my voice a little to make it sound like I'm angry. And I am. A bit.

"Hey, I'm just giving my insight from what I can notice. If she's here and not with her family right now, then the problem lies there, with her family." Damn, her logic makes sense. I can't think of anything to counter that. I just shrug my shoulders and return back to eating dinner. It's gone cold now but that's hardly the main reason I've lost my desire to eat. Seeing Cat truly broken, that is what made me lost my appetite.

I only took a few more bites before placing my plate on the kitchen sink. I was supposed to clean the dishes today, but my mom made Trina do it as I had to comfort Cat with her problem she still hadn't told me. After hearing a few complaints from my sister, I head to Cat almost immediately. Before that, I grabbed a bowl and filled it with pot pie. Hopefully, I can give this to Cat later. Cat looks like she still hadn't eaten. When I get there, she's still in the same position ever since she came here. And that was like 15 minutes ago. I tell her to go to my room so we can talk this out. She nods weakly and I lead her to my room. Man, she really does look broken. Her hands hide in the sleeves of her sweater and her head is down while walking. Once we get in, I lock the door and set down the bowl of pot pie on my desk. My room, filled with shades of purples and whites, is a contrast to what Cat is wearing right now. Cat immediately lies face down on my bed. And then she starts crying. She's been holding it in all this time. I sit down next to her and rub her back while she let's it all out. We don't even talk for a good 10 minutes. I just let her cry until she starts to speak up.

"I hate him I hate him I hate him I hate him I hate him!" She screams at the top of her lungs, muffled only by my bed. She went from soft sobs to high-pitched wails.

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><p><strong>AN: Good place to stop, right? Am I evil? Probably not. **

**Yeah, it's a short chapter. This is kind of like a prologue, before the main story comes into play. So, what do you think happened to Cat? Leave your opinions via review. I just love those.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Damn. I thought long and hard about this chapter. I kept changing who "he" is. I finally made up my mind just in time. Here you go my jiggas.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious. See, that's simple enough.**

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><p><strong>Cat's POV<strong>

I think I'm all cried out now. I have been crying since yesterday. I just feel so conflicted and hurt right now. That's why I came to Tori's. I just needed someone to listen to me because... no one will listen to me in my house anymore. I sit back up, back resting against Tori's bed's headboard, legs drawn closer to my chest. Tori sits next to me and wraps her arm around my shoulder, enveloping me in her grasp.

"Will you tell me everything, Cat?" Tori asks.

"Y-yeah." I nod weakly.

"Okay, start from the beginning. I'm all ears." She affirms. I tell her the whole story on why currently I'm a broken mess.

This started a few months ago. One night, my mom and my dad argued because he arrived home late and he didn't tell my mom. She suspected that he was having an affair with another woman but he reassured her that he stayed late for work. After that, it got worse. He kept coming late almost every night, and most of the time, he was drunk. My mom really loved him so much, she didn't even try to stop him. But one night, which was last week, my mom found out. Her hunch was right. He kept sending flirtatious e-mails to some other woman from his workplace. My mom found out while he had to go pee in the bathroom and he left his e-mail account open on his laptop. That's when it happened. She confronted him and it was my dad that got absolutely livid. My mom really did love him so much, all she asked for was an explanation. However, he ... had enough of her. I heard shouting, my mom screaming that he was a cheater and he responds by telling my mom's a bitch. My heart broke when I heard that. I was too scared to move from under my blanket. I didn't really see the events myself but I heard them bickering loud and clear from my room. I head shouting and a loud thump, someone falling down hard to the floor. He hit her with a solid punch, knocked my mom unconscious. Even if I didn't see it at the exact moment it happened, I know that fact because my mom doesn't even have the strength or the courage to throw a jab. Afterwards, he immediately left my mom and me to go be with that ... whore! I heard the car driving out of our driveway, tires burning out. After he left the house, I went to check up on my mom and I saw her broken and crushed. After regaining consciousness, she shrieked loudly and all I could do was comfort her. Just when you think things couldn't get any worse, it did. The day after, she went into chronic depression. She never left her room, so I always had to bring her food there. However, she didn't eat as well, she didn't take care of herself, so I had to do it for her. Maybe, I didn't do a good job enough. It was only yesterday, my memory still fresh and clear. After I went to the grocery to buy food supplies, I never saw her in her room. I panicked and checked every room in the house. Then, in the basement, I ... saw her. Lifeless. Gone. Blood dripping down from her mouth, the thick rope wrapped tightly around her neck. I broke down at the sight of my mom committing suicide. I cried hysterically until I can't no more. I screamed my mom's name, praying that it was all a bad dream and she's not really dead. But it was all real. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have to be all by myself right now. She's gone. He left. I'm alone.

"Cat... I-I'm so sorry..." Tori sympathizes. I can see her tears falling down from her eyes. I can feel myself tearing up, too.

I take out my wallet from my pocket and show her my family picture. I don't know why, but I felt like she needs to see my parents. My brother isn't in this picture. He was in the hospital during that time until now. That's not what's important now. My hand instinctively touches the face of my mom. I have almost the same facial features as her, except she has shoulder-length brown hair and grey eyes. I reluctantly look at the man beside her. A tall man with a businessman look. Bald head, clean shaved, wearing a suit and tie... That man, he was the reason mom went into depression. He drove her into committing suicide. I start to break down again, not from sadness but from anger.

"I'm so lost right now, Tor. I-I hate him. I fucking hate him! He should have died! Not my mom!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, not caring who would hear me. I break down in front of Tori for like the second time. It hurts so much. Tori holds me closer, rocking me back and forth. She has a tight grip on me, insinuating that she would never leave me all alone. I intake the smell of Tori from this hug. She smells home-y, something that I won't be able to feel anymore. I start to drift off...

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><p><em>What am I doing at my parents' room? I see two figures in front of me. My parents...<em>

_"What are you doing with this woman?! Why are you sending each other love e-mails?!" My mom yells at my dad, demanding an answer._

_"The question is what are you doing with my laptop?!" My dad retorts.  
><em>

_"That's not the point! Why are you doing this?!" She insists._

_"Damnit! You're always like this! You always ask every once in a while where I am or what am I doing. You always check my e-mails, texts, calls, what else have you spied on me? You're so insecure, that you always had to check up on me like I'm your son! Well guess what? I'm done! I'm leaving, and I don't want you to bother me ever again!"_

_"Wait! Just, please, explain to me why are you doing this?" She asks, almost begging for an answer._

_Right then, my dad snapped. He punched her right on the head, knocking her unconscious. I gasp at the moment. I start to cry and when I closed my eyes for just a second, the room suddenly changed to pitch black._

_Now where am I? This looks like our basement. Well, what the hell am I doing in the basement? And who's that on the chair? Why does that person have a rope around their neck? Wait... that's!_

_"Mom!" I screamed at her but she didn't hear me. Oh no, she's about to drop down from the chair. I try to run towards her to stop her from doing this nonsense. However, I can't seem to move at all. Fuck! "Mom! Stop! Don't leave me alone!"_

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><p>I wake up in a cold sweat. I had fallen asleep still in Tori's grasp. My heart is palpitating. Tears fall down from my eyes again. Her hand is running through my hair. She is giving kisses on my head. And there's that home-y feeling again.<p>

"I really miss her, Tori. I don't know what to do without her now. She was my anchor. My support. Now that she's gone, I feel weak and frail." My words are a bit muffled from Tori's tight cradle.

"Oh, Cat. I'm sure she misses you dearly. Just remember, she is watching you always. She probably would be disappointed in you if you keep putting yourself down like that. You should at least put on a smile to make her smile. If you ever need somewhere to go, I'm always right here for you." She squeezes me tighter. I mutter a thank you. We stay about that for a long time until we fall asleep, with her still cuddling me, my back to hers. I try my best to sleep but as I close my eyes, my mind is flooded with memories of my mom.

When I woke up (which is surprising because I never had another nightmare that night), I immediately felt a warm breath on my neck. That sent goosebumps all over my body. Tori's arms are still wrapped around me. It actually feels comforting, knowing that she's here and never letting me go. And literally, she doesn't let go. I try to pry her hands of my stomach but somehow, she has a vice grip on me. I wouldn't mind though, I would just leave her like that, but... I really have to pee.

"Cat..." She says groggily. I turn around to face her. She looks tired. It's possible that she stayed up all night looking after me.

"Good morning Tori and um... Merry Christmas." She blinks at me in surprise. I think I know why. "Don't worry, Tori. It's Christmas. So, you're supposed to greet everyone a Merry Christmas." I assure her. She nods and gives me a shy smile.

"Good morning to you too, Cat and Merry Christmas. You feeling any better?" She asks hesitantly.

"Yeah, but first, can you let go of me? I really have to use the bathroom." I request.

"Oh... yeah. Sorry about that." She stammers. Her eyes shift to her ceiling. I almost sure I saw her face blush a little bit.

"It's okay. I'll be back in a boo." I give her a smile and I hop out of bed to head to the bathroom. I did my business there and some thinking too. I thought about what Tori said last night. _S__he is watching you always. She probably would be disappointed in you if you keep putting yourself down like that. You should at least put on a smile to make her smile. _Maybe, she's right. Although it still hurts pretty bad, I have to move on, I guess. I think that's what she meant by that. But I know I am not going to do that alone. I have a great friend in Tori who's going to help me. Before I make my way to her, I tried to make myself look better because I look like crap. My hair's a mess, eye bags circling my eyes. I just look so tired. I wash my face with water and straighten down my hair with Tori's brush. After 5 minutes, I look somewhat better than before. I step out of the bathroom and was greeted by a familiar man.

"Hey Cat. Merry Christmas. Are you done using the bathroom?" Mr. Vega is dressed for a trip. I wonder if Tori's leaving with him. I reply to his question with a simple yes. "I was told you were here but I didn't see you last night. Probably because I came home so late, most likely you were already sleeping. Oh, Tori's already downstairs. She's heating up your slice of the Vega pot pie. It's really good. Go on, she's waiting for you." Mr. Vega informs me. I nod and I quickly ran downstairs to find Tori in the kitchen with her mom. Mrs. Vega looks like she's going on a trip, just like her husband. They look like they're having a serious conversation. Oh no, I hope she didn't tell her about what happened. I don't think I'm ready for other people to know. I came to Tori because I know she is the only one who can help me. That, and she's kinda like my only option. I'm not that really close with the guys for me to tell them about my personal problems and as for Jade, well, she tends to give me the least helpful advice. If I did go to her, she would have said 'Where is your dad now? I will make sure the scissors you gave me puts into good use.'. Hmm... now that I think about it, perhaps that's not such a bad idea after all.

"Cat!" Tori waves at me from the kitchen. She still hadn't changed from her clothes that she slept in, gray sweatpants and a purple top. That rules out my theory that Tori's leaving with her family. Dang it, from all my thinking, I didn't notice I was still at the foot of the stairs. I walk towards her, hoping that my situation wasn't discussed between them.

"Okay, I'll leave the house to you two. Are you sure you don't want to come, Tori? You could bring Cat with you." Mrs. Vega double-checks.

"No, it's okay. I'll stay here with Cat." Tori replies and her mom says goodbye, followed by Mr. Vega and Trina. The door closes and I can hear their car driving out the driveway. "In case you're wondering, they left to go visit our grandparents' house in San Diego. I opted to stay here just for you." She grins at me widely. I feel my face getting red and my eyes shift to the side. I smile back at her as my hand touches her arm.

"Thanks. It really means a lot knowing that you would give up so much of your time just to be with me. Incidentally, did you tell the truth to your parents about what really happened? Or did you make up some smart excuse?"

"To be honest, I told them that you supposed to go on a family trip to Paris to surprise a visit to your relatives but you were left at home by accident. When you woke up yesterday, you checked the house for any signs of them but they were nowhere to be found. You tried to call them but you couldn't reach them, because they were already on the plane." I burst out laughing. Man, I hadn't laughed like this since maybe last week. "So what do you think of my excuse for you?" She asks sheepishly.

"That's a great excuse. It totally reminds me of a movie I haven't watched since I was a little kid. I'm surprised your parents didn't catch on to your 'excuse'. We should watch that movie later, 'kay Tori? What was it again, Left Alone?" I pout and give her my puppy dog eyes.

"Hahaha! You're one word off, but yeah let's watch it later. But right now, you should eat our famous Vega family pot pie while it's still warm." Tori exclaims. She opens the microwave and a strong smell of a mixture of meats fill the air. I sit down at the table with a fork at the ready.

I hear a faint rumbling from my stomach. I guess I hadn't had a chance to eat since yesterday. Plus, I really really want to try out their pot pie. So, I indulge myself in their pot pie. Hmm. Oh. Oh wow. It's...

"Delicious!" I blurt out after the first bite. She lets out a hearty laugh and a smug look that says 'I told you they're good'. I probably finished the dish in a minute, with a grin on my face, and a happy stomach. I thank Tori for the food with a peck on the cheek. Her face turned red all of a sudden and I feel mine turn red too.

We've given each other kisses on the cheek before. Those were strictly platonic, friends only. But why does it feel different now?

Regardless, I feel like all of my problems seem to fade whenever I'm with Tori. I mean I'm still dejected about the passing of my mom but I'm trying my hardest not to dwell on it too much, just like what Tori told me. Smile and she'll smile back. And I know I still have a great Christmas waiting for me.

Because I'm with Tori.

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><p><strong>AN: ****Honestly, I had a bit of a hard time with this chapter. Mixing sad stuff with not so sad ones. Oh well, such is a life of a writer. I think. ****Review, favorite, or do a combination of both. Such is a life of a reader. I know.**

**Trivia: What's the movie they're going to watch? :) Don't tell me you don't know.**

**PS: If you've tasted the Vega family pot pie, please tell me if it's any good. :))**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I got the money. So why can't I own Victorious? Many reasons, the money's not enough, Victorious stopped airing new episodes, I don't want to... Oh who am I kidding, if I'm given the chance, I would so own Victorious right now.**

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><p><strong>Tori's POV<strong>

December 26, 2012. The day after Christmas. A day where most adults are still hung over from heavily drinking on Christmas. I am not one of them but my parents are. Heck, I didn't even visit my friends to greet them a happy holiday. I did text them though. Then, what did I do on Christmas? I was busy taking care of a certain perky redhead. We went to the Green Meadow Mall for some retail therapy. She bought some blouses and dresses and I bought a pair of jeans for myself as well. After that, we watched Home Alone at my bedroom just like she requested. We sat down with our backs against the headboard. We laughed at every time the two robbers got hit by the house traps. She even pleaded to play the sequel which of course I did not refuse. After watching 3.5 hours of Home Alone (which, I have to admit, is fitting considering the holiday season right now), we talked about random stuff until it's midnight. She did cry herself to sleep but it wasn't as bad as last time. I had to rub her back until her sobs subsided. When I woke up, I saw Cat sitting on the edge of the bed weeping softly. And I knew why.

Today is her mom's wake. It is held at Holy Trinity Funeral Homes which is actually pretty close by, even though I've never heard of the place. Before we go, me and Cat ate some Cheerio's for a quick breakfast and we took showers to freshen ourselves up. We didn't take a shower at the same time, mind you. Afterwards, I walked Cat to her house to let her pick out a black dress. It is customary is wear black during a wake. At least, that's what she told me when her family goes to wake and funerals of close relatives. I did put on a black outfit before going with Cat. I just wore a black shirt and my darkest pair of jeans I have. Coincidentally, it was actually the one I bought yesterday. We arrived at her house at around 9 AM. I've been to her home several times. Now, her house is abandoned. Cat starts to cry again when we get to their front door. I hold her hand, rubbing my thumb over her skin. I know that she feels a lot more comfortable if I hold her hand like this. She looks at me with a grateful expression. A small smile forms on her. She pulls out her house key and inserts the thin metal into the lock.

"Huh? I could have sworn I locked the door when I left." She says incredulously. Cat takes out the key and starts to turn the knob. Well, what do you know? It is open. When we step inside, her eyes widen in surprise. I check the surroundings. Nope, no dead bodies. Everything looks normal. So, why does Cat seem surprised about the normality of the place?

"Cat, I don't see a problem here. There's absolutely nothing out of the ordinary." I voice out my thoughts.

"But there is! I swore this place was a lot messier when I left to go to your house. I remember the throw pillows were scattered all over the floor and..." Cat counters.

"_Do you remember..._"

"What?" She asks me with a quizzical look that I match.

"What do you mean 'what'? I didn't say anything." I respond. We stay still in silence until...

"_...the 21st night of September?_" At that moment, we hear a voice from the kitchen. Cat shrieks in fear. I hold her tight, trying to protect her. Cat's trembling in fear.

"Who's there?! I have a knife!" The voice from the kitchen yells at us. A different scenarios come to my mind. The most realistic one, there's a possibility that a burglar in the kitchen. But what kind of burglar cleans a house? And, the voice we heard, it was some sort of singing. Plus, the voice sounded like an old lady. So we have a tenured singing maid thief in the kitchen right now. Perfect.

I feel Cat calming down after hearing that voice. Does she know our mystery singing lady burglar?

"Nona? Is that you?" She asks timidly.

A stubby woman with short ginger hair comes out of the kitchen. She definitely does not look like a thief, but she could possibly be a singer. "Cat!" Right away, she heads towards Cat. I let go of Cat and she runs toward the woman to give her a big hug.

"Nona! It's so nice to see you. How's Venice? What brings you here? Oh by the way, this is Tori, my friend. I'm really really happy to see you again, Nona. It's been like three months." Wow, I haven't heard her talk that fast. Nona pulls out of the hug. If my assumptions are correct, Nona is Cat's grandmother.

"Okay okay, take it easy Cat. I missed you too. I'm here to watch the place for a while. I have to say, I was a bit worried something bad might have happened to you. But then again, I just got here like 30 minutes ago, so I thought you just went outside to visit some friends or something. Good thing I still have the spare key your mom gave to me. I saw how messy the house was so I cleaned it all up. Took me like 25 minutes. Before you came in, I was preparing a quick breakfast for you. I'm making quiche. Nice to meet you, by the way, Tori." She looks at me with a grin on her face. Wow, now I know where Cat gets that speed from.

"Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Valentine." I greet her.

"Oh no, you got the wrong grandma. I'm not a Valentine technically speaking. See, I'm Cat's mom's mom. So, there's no way I could be a Valentine. Just call me Nona." She explains.

"Oh okay, Nona. I'm so sorry for your loss by the way." I give her my sincere condolences.

"Thanks. When I first heard of the news, I was hysteric. I cried literally buckets of tears. But my neighbors were supportive. Even the kids I'm babysitting wrote cards for me. I was so flattered. I'm trying not to dwell on it too much right now. Though, I know for sure I won't be able to control myself later at the wake. Well, enough sadness, let's eat some quiche!" Nona suggests.

"Actually Nona, we already ate before going here. I was only going to put on a black dress and head immediately to the funeral home." Cat responds.

"Well, if you would go now, you'll have to wait. The viewing doesn't start until 1 PM. Although, family members can come early, I'm afraid Tori here will have to wait outside. You're granddad's already there, by the way, so no need to worry about no one being there." Nona clarifies.

"Oh okay. Thanks for telling us. We'll just be in my room then." Cat replies. She gives Nona a big grin and I find myself doing the same.

Cat takes my hand as we ascend the stairs to the second story of her house. There goes that warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach again. We enter Cat's room and I'm immediately bombarded by the color pink. I've been to her room so many times, I've lost count. But this moment, me and Cat in her room, it feels ... private? That's not the word I'm looking for. It feels ... intimate. She even locked the door. I'm almost tempted to ask why but I knew from the start I would just be asking an irrelevant question. Cat sits down on the edge of her bed, a sad look on her face. She pats the area beside her, telling me to sit down too. I do just that and she holds my hand again. And here come the butterflies. She takes a deep breath before speaking.

"So, Tori. What do you wanna do? We can watch a movie on my laptop. Or we can play some board games too if you want. I have Monopoly, Scrabble, Pictionary..."

"Cat." I place my index finger on her mouth to stop her from going a 100 miles an hour. "As fun as those things are, I really want to take a nap right now. I barely had any sleep last night." And that's the truth. I truly am tired right now. The reason? None, really. Just, too much thinking. About me. And Cat.

"Oh, okay. We have like 3 hours. Maybe I'll take a nap too. Can I ask why can't you sleep, Tori?" She asks me innocently. Damn those puppy-dog eyes. And that pout too.

"It's nothing. I think it was insomnia but I'm okay now." I reason with her. It's half-true, but I don't want to divulge into details. We lay down onto the bed, our hands not letting go.

"You know, I've done some research that the main reason for insomnia is the fact that you can't stop thinking about someone. Or so I've heard. Sleep tight, Tori." She winks at me in a seemingly suggestive manner. She then proceeds to drape her free arm around my waist and dozes off almost immediately. While she's off in her dreamland, I'm at a loss for words.

She doesn't know anything. She's just bluffing. I hope. Maybe I'm being too conspicuous with the way I'm acting towards her.

That I like Cat Valentine.

No, not just as a friend or as a best friend. You know. I kinda like her ... that way. Damn, it's even hard for me to admit it to myself. I did some Zaplook searching and found out some signs if you like someone more than just a friend.

For example, you get that warm fuzzy feeling in your stomach with a simple touch. Check. Her cozy embraces, her hand touching my arm, my cheek, my hand, her head leaning on me and such, all of those generate a million butterflies in my stomach.

Next, that person is always on your mind. She's been through a rough time. So there's no excuse that I'm worried about her. A lot. At times, when she's pushed her problems aside temporarily, I always find myself admiring how pretty her brown eyes are, how the shade of magenta on her hair matches her sun-kissed skin, and how talented she really is. Most people take her for granted, but they haven't seen her true potential.

And last but not the least, comfortable silence. When we're just sitting around in my house watching a movie or TV, we don't talk. We laugh but never converse with one another. And I'm okay with that. It gives me a chance to take in the pretty girl that is sitting right next to me, leaning her head on my shoulder. She'd usually tell me that I'm staring at her with a big goofy smile. She doesn't mind though. She just smiles and reverts her attention back to the TV.

Even though it was in the most unfortunate of circumstances (you know, her mom ... gone), I saw the true Cat. She told me her life story. Her family, her crazy brother stories, Cat herself, it's all a whirlwind of bad luck for them (according to Cat, anyway). She was bullied when she was a kid. She said she was a weird little girl. She's always spontaneous, a bit crazy. But it's not really a negative trait nowadays (hey, you don't see me complaining). She was always by herself. No one talked to her, no one tried to befriend her. Truth is, she was just shy. She waited for someone, anyone to come and talk to her but no one ever did. That is until she went to Hollywood Arts where you can be as spontaneous as you like. That's why she fit in perfectly. And...

God dammit, I'm mentally rambling again. That's why I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see images of Cat. Cat being bullied in 5th grade, Cat's trademark puppy-dog and pout, Cat being yelled at by her dad, Cat's warm embrace on me. Cat sobbing softly, Cat crying hysterically...

Shit. Shit shit shit shit...

I can't get her off my mind. That's one of the signs that...

I love Cat Valentine.

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><p><strong>AN: I know this chapter is slightly shorter than the last but I think I did pretty well. I hope. You be the judge. Next chapter might come out a little later. College is starting to bitch at me.**

**PS: I just changed the rating to M because the last chapter was maybe a bit too much for a T rating. Don't worry, it's going to get more M from now on.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own a twitter. If I could hack twitter, then maybe I could own Victorious, or at least their official twitter. Since I'm not a hacker, I don't own Victorious. *insert sad emoji here***

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><p><strong>Cat's POV<strong>

"Thanks for coming with me, Tori. It truly means a lot to me." I grin at the half-Latina right next to me.

"Hey, I told you that I will always be with you, right? You can't shake me off of you, now." Tori responds. I giggle and shake my head in reply. She's right. I can't get rid of her, now.

"I'm sorry if I'm going to be a hysterical mess later."

"Cat, don't apologize for that. I'm not half-expecting you to have a blank expression the whole time. Don't hold back."

I give her a kiss on the cheek as thanks. I feel her face burn when my lips touched her cheek. Right now, we're heading to Holy Trinity which is only a couple of blocks from my house. Nona left an hour before us. When I woke up (with Tori's face buried in my back and her arm draped over my waist), the tears started to fall again. There are just too many reminders of my mom in my room alone. The pictures I drew in 2nd grade that depicted me and my mom, the actual family pictures hanging in a frame on my wall, the toys and stuffed animals she bought me when I was a kid, and even Mr. Purple, all of these were too much as I began to sob for who knows how many times now. I feel Tori's body shifting and right then, she jolts up after hearing my choked sobs. She holds me in a tight embrace and I lean into her. I'm in a safe place with Tori. After ten or so minutes of crying, I calmed myself down and cleaned up my face in my bathroom. We went to the kitchen helped ourselves to Nona's quiche. Tori complimented my Nona's cooking, saying that her quiche was quite on par with their family pot pie.

"That's my Nona for you." A smug look forms on my face. She laughs and nods in agreement.

After eating, I dressed up for the wake. I took my black cocktail dress out of my closet and asked Tori to help me put it on. She seemed reluctant at first but after my trademark pout and puppy-dog eyes, she accepted. Her face seemed to burn up when I undressed, even more when she helped me zip up the back of my dress. Heck, I felt flushed too when she saw me only in my underwear. After that awkward moment, we left the house, making sure this time I locked the door, and walked together with our elbows linked to the funeral homes.

We didn't talk while walking to the place. Each other's presence is enjoyable enough, even if the silence is deafening. After ten minutes of strolling in stillness**,** we arrive at the funeral homes. It was a fairly large lot with numerous small chapels surrounding a garden in the middle. The garden is a lawn with four stone benches surrounding a central fountain. Holy Trinity has a holy atmosphere, indeed. After asking where my mom is, we enter the chapel we were told. The room is painted white, windows surrounding most of the walls. A lot of light passes through the room. It feels like heaven here. After I stopped admiring the tranquility of the area, I start to cry immediately after seeing what was at the front of the chapel. A white casket surrounded by flowers and wreaths is positioned at the end of the red carpet. There are rows of white wooden pews, some of my relatives sitting down and chatting. I don't go to them. Instead, I walk slowly towards the casket, Tori following close behind. When we reached the casket, I feel Tori wrapping her arm around my waist. I lead my head on her shoulder, sniffling out my crying. My mom looks ... peaceful. She was dressed with a white gown. If she was still alive, people would think she just got married. I tried touching her face one last time, but my hand was met with glass. I bury my face in Tori's chest, muffling my cries for my mom. Here goes the waterworks. She embraces me, her hand running down my hair. I'm not talking. Tori's not talking. She's just letting me cry myself out. She sits me down in the nearest pew until I calm myself down.

"I told you I'm going to be a crying mess." I mutter in between sniffles.

"I know. And it's normal, Cat. When my grandma died, I was like this. So, I know how you feel." She explains. I take a deep breath before speaking again.

"Thank you Tori, for just being here right next to me. You could have been with your family right now. But you chose to be with me, a girl with a dead mother, a crazy brother, and an disloyal father. I can't thank you enough. You're the best best friend anyone could have and I love you for that." And I mean it. If it weren't for her, I don't know what could have happened to me. Maybe, I would be depressed like my mom. Maybe, I might do stupid things, things that I will regret.

"Oh uh yeah... I love you too. You're the best too, you know that?" She stutters. I can't help but put on a sheepish grin.

I had to leave Tori at some point. I wanted to talk with uncles and aunts and cousins. I wanted to catch up with their lives. I feel like it's my obligation now to make at least small talk with them because it was usually my mom who would break the ice. I'd ask them what is going on with their lives now and they'd ask me the same. They also gave their sincere condolences. After all, I'm the most affected family member here. I returned to Tori not long after I left but she wasn't at her seat. She isn't even in the chapel at all. I exited the chapel and I immediately found the girl I'm looking for. She's sitting on a bench in the middle of the garden. She's facing away from me so this is a good opportunity. I sneakily make my way to her back until I cover both of her eyes with my hands.

"Guess who?" I whisper in her ear.

"Hmm... Is it Robbie?" She says sarcastically. I let out a soft chuckle.

"It's Cat, silly." I release my hands and sit down next to her.

"I knew that. I was being sarcastic. Cat, can I tell you something? And promise me you won't get mad?" She shifts her eyes to the ground.

"Kay kay" I reply. I hope it's not anything too serious. Like she has to move or something. Because I would go crazy without her. I'm already crazy as it is.

"You said that I shouldn't tell about your mom to anyone, right? You said you weren't ready?" I nod. "Well, I kinda told André about you and your mom. It sort of slipped when he called me just now. He asked me where I was and I accidentally said I'm at Holy Trinity. Then, he asked for an explanation and I told him. Cat, I'm sorry. You said you weren't ready to tell other people about your mom's death but my big mouth just blabbed it to André like it's the newest gossip in town."

"Don't beat yourself up about this. It's okay. I wasn't ready then, but I'm ready now. It's probably better that you called him about my situation rather than me saying '_Hey, Merry Christmas. My mom died so come to her wake at Holy Trinity right now.'_. It would be somewhat awkward, right?" I explain.

"Yeah, I guess. So, they are coming here right now. When I say they, I mean everyone. He told me that the whole gang is coming this instant." She says.

"Well, I'm already happy with just you here. Though, I feel more safe with the entire group. I need their support and yours more than ever."

"Oh... Uh... So, you're happy? With just me?" She asks me sheepishly. I answer her question with a quick peck on the cheek. My hand intertwines with hers.

"I'm happy." Suddenly, the silence fills the air. This moment feels so serene, only to be interrupted by the ringing of Tori's cellphone. She answers her phone with her free hand, the other not letting go of mine.

"Hey André ... Oh cool! ... We'll meet you up at the entrance ... Me and Cat, who else? ... Alright, see you." She pockets her phone after the conversation. "That was André. They're already here at the entrance."

"Oh, let's go then." I reluctantly release my hand and make my way to the entrance, Tori linking her elbow with mine. When we reached the gate, we saw the whole group about to enter. They immediately run in our direction. All of them gave me a tight hug one at a time, even Jade. They gave me their condolences and their sympathy, even Jade (I know, I'm surprised a bit, myself). I thank them one by one by giving them a hug of my own, and yes, Jade, too. I love them all so much. All of us go inside the chapel. We all sit down at a pew and we stay still, praying silently over my mom.

"_Mom, I won't forget_

_The fun times we had back then_

_You'll be in my heart_"

Since when did I start reciting haiku?

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><p>It's already time. 29th of December. The burial. This would be the last time I would get to see her face ever again.<p>

Over the last three days, I've been repeating the same pattern over and over again. In the day, I would stay in the chapel for hours, looking over my mom. At night, my Nona would take over and I would go home. The gang would come by every now and then but I understand they have their own affairs to attend to. But Tori's with me all the time. She never left me alone for a long period of time. That goes to show how much concern she has for me. She would cheer me up whenever I become emotional, whether at Holy Trinity or at her house. Yes, I slept at her home because I'm afraid I might not even get a chance for a night's sleep since there are too many reminders at my own house about my mom. Good thing her parents and Trina are still out of the house and won't come back until the 2nd of January. To be honest, sleeping with Tori is the best night's sleep I've had in a while. Probably because of the sense of peacefulness she radiates. Or maybe it's something more.

After a prayer service was held for my mother, the casket lid was closed and the casket itself was set in place above the hole to lower it six feet under. All of my close friends are with me right now, as well as other Hollywood Arts people that I know, like Sikowitz and Lane. And of course, Tori is with me by my side. I can't get her off of me now, but I don't mind. I like her being right next to me.

I am once again a sobbing mess. The same goes to my Nona who's being held tightly by my grand right now. My heart tightens every second the casket is lowered inch by inch. We are showering bouquets of flowers on top of the casket. After waiting for an arduous minute, the casket is finally at the bottom and the dirt is slowly being shoveled in the hole.

"_May you rest in peace_

_Many memories treasured_

_by your dearest Cat._"

Again with the haiku...

After the casket is complety buried, I lost control of myself. High-pitched wails erupted from me. I felt a warm embrace enveloping me, and it wasn't my Nona. It was Tori. I bury my face in her chest, hushing my screams for my mom. Her hands rubbing my back soothingly, whispering soothing things in my ear and I go back again to that comfortable place. That place where it's just me and Tori and no one else around us. That one place where me and her can live happily ever after without a care for what everybody else say. Where there is only good and no bad, only ups and no downs. If only I have the courage to face reality. The reality where she's only doing this to me because I need it. Because I'm a hysterical mess right now and I need the support. I'll take it though. It's better than anything else.

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><p>After crying myself out the past few days, I'm slowly feeling better. I think I'm starting to move on. I think. As long as a certain Latina is right by my side.<p>

"Cat, you ready to go?" Tori asks.

"I've been waiting for you in the car!" I yell at her from the driver's seat.

Me and Tori are going to the annual Hollywood Arts New Year's Bash. I'm taking us there with my car. Yes, my car. I have a red Toyota Prius c, bought it at a used car lot for an affordable price, and still in mint condition. I don't usually drive it though because I prefer walking if it's a short distance. Tori opens the passenger's door and I stare at her. Tori's wearing a light jacket covering her red top, dark skinny jeans, and a pair of Converse sneakers. Even looking casual, she still manages to look beautiful. On the other hand, I'm wearing a blue dress that stops mid-thigh and white heels. Nothing too fancy, but I was hoping to impress someone. That someone is staring back at me. We both ogle each other for a long time until I suddenly avert my gaze to the steering wheel. She plops down onto the passenger's seat. I take a deep breath and start the car, engine revving nicely. I hit the gas and off we go to the party.

"You look extra cute." She bluntly states. I feel a blush creeping on my face.

"Why the extra? Not that it's bad or anything." I ask curiously.

"Because you're cute whatever time and day it is. Just so happens that today, you went above and beyond." She justifies.

Right in the feels, Tori. Right in the feels. Can my face get anymore redder?

"Well, Tori Vega, you yourself look extra beautiful, if I say so myself." I come back at her. Two can play at that game.

I take a chance and glance at her quickly. Her face is as red as the top she's wearing. Immediately, I reverted my vision back on the road. I avoided looking at her until we reach Hollywood Arts. Why? Because I'm going to stare at her and I will forget that I'm driving and we might crash and burn. However, I'm pretty sure she's staring hard at me. When we arrive at our high school, I park the car near the front of the entrance. We get out of the Prius, and I surprise Tori with a hug. She quickly reciprocates by holding me tightly, laughing in my ear.

"What was that for?" She asks quizzically.

"I just like hugging you." I answer.

She just chuckles and shakes her head. I take her hand and pull her to the Asphalt Café. A ton of students are already here, music blaring through the speaker system. I see our friends mingling at a table and we walk up to them. They greet us with bright smiles, except for Jade who greeted us with her usual smirk. We all talk about random stuff about our lives until one guy decided to bring it up.

"Hey Cat, how are you feeling? Are you still sad about your mom?" Robbie asks me, the whole group going silent.

"Jeez, what kind of question is that, Robbie? Of course she's still sad." Beck defends me.

"Well, I'm sorry for being concerned." Robbie whines.

"No, it's ok. Yeah, I'm still sad. But I'm alright now. I'm moving on, I think. I remember what a certain person told me. My mom wouldn't want to see me all depressed and broken. I should smile for her and she'll smile back at me." I gave that person who told me that advice, Tori, a big smile and she corresponds with a cheeky grin of her own.

"Well, I'm happy for you Lil' Red. Now, enough talking about the past. Let's go dance! The DJ's playing the Cupid Shuffle!" André announces.

All of us head to the dance area and we start shuffling to the Cupid Shuffle. The six of us are on a straight horizontal line, Tori right beside me, as we dance to the beat. I just hope I remember the choreography.

_To the right, to the right, to the right, to the right _(Ok, right step, right step, right step, right step)

_To the left, to the left, to the left, to the left _(Left step, left step, left step, left step)

_Now kick, now kick, now kick, now kick _(Um... right kick, left kick, right kick, left kick)

_Now walk it by yourself, now walk it by yourself _(Face the ... left side! I got it!)

And we repeat these steps over and over again until the song ends. We were about to sit back down, delirious from all that dancing. After the Cupid Shuffle, the DJ plays another familiar song, the Cha Cha Slide. André might have shouted 'I love you!' to the DJ but I'm not too sure. The Cha Cha Slide was exhausting, with all that hopping and stepping. We kept on dancing and dancing until it was almost midnight. The DJ was already playing slow songs and we were already tired from dancing non-stop line dances, except for Beck and Jade who were dancing to the romantic song. André's trying to flirt with a girl and Robbie is lying down on a bench, nearly having a heart attack from all that dancing. I'm sitting with Tori, chatting mindlessly until Tori suddenly tugs my arm.

"Hey, wanna go to the roof?" She asks.

"Yeah!" I immediately answer.

Tori takes my hand and leads us back inside the school and to the stairway that goes to the roof. It must be our lucky day. We're the only ones here. I go to the edge of the roof, leaning on the railing. There's a clear view of the Asphalt Café and the music can actually be heard from here. I feel Tori's arms wrap around my waist, her head resting on my shoulder. The music dies down as the students begin to count down.

_10! __9! __8!_

"Hey Cat?" She mutters in my ear.

_7! __6! __5!_

"What is it, Tori?"

_4! __3! _(Yay! They didn't forget the 3!)

Tori turns me around to face her. She moves her hands from my waist to cup my cheeks. Our eyes meet and it's hypnotizing. As I start to realize what she's trying to do, her face inches closer to mine. And yet, I don't mind one bit. I look down at her lips and my eyes flutter.

_2! __1!__  
><em>

She gently touches her lips against mine. Oh. My. God. Tell me this isn't happening. Tori Vega is kissing me. Her lips are soft and sweet and I soon find myself kissing her back. This is all surreal. I'm not sure what to do at first. I decided to wrap my arms around her neck, deepening the kiss. Then I feel it. A spark is a complete understatement to what I'm feeling with Tori's lips brushing against mine. This isn't just a spark. This is something big. As the fireworks in the background blast into the New Year's sky, my own fireworks set off in my heart, and they're beautiful fireworks indeed. Today, all my troubles seem so far away. It's like I'm in an all new world with just Tori and me and complete jubilant euphoria. Our lips part and I'm left breathless. I lick my lips, her taste still fresh and sweet. Tori moves closer to whisper something in my ear.

"Happy New Year."

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><p><strong>AN: Finally! Some Cori fluff! I didn't hold back this time. Maybe next chapter's the slutty, I mean, smutty part. I don't know. Next chapter might take a while though. Life's hard when you got Calculus, Physics, and Programming in the same day. Too much math... In any case, you gotta review though.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Do I have to say it again?! I. Do. Not. Own. Victorious! I wish, though. I wish. Then I would make a Catorade spin-off sequel, where Cat, Jade, and Tori start a babysitting business to earn money for college. They should have done that. Not that I don't like 'Sam and Cat' or anything.**

**Warning: This chapter contains self-harm. So, try to skip it if you don't like it.**

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><p><strong>Tori's POV<strong>

January 1, 2013. 12:00 AM. A new year. Hopefully, a start of good things to come. And now, it couldn't have been better.

I immediately kiss Cat again. Cat's lips are so warm and gentle. They even taste like candy. The faint pyrotechnics in the background is nothing compared to those blasting in my heart right now. My hands tangle themselves into Cat's hair, intensifying our kiss. She grabs on to my waist tightly. I hear a soft mew and my breath hitches. I take the opportunity to brush my tongue against her lower lip, eliciting a mild moan from her. I gain access in her damp mouth, our tongues meeting and frolicking with each other. I kiss her like this for who knows how long. Amidst all that has happened to her, this kiss feels so right, magical, and perfect. These growing feelings could be dwelled upon later, because, for now, I was content to feel her breath come and go with mine.

It was around 1 AM when we left Hollywood Arts. The New Year's Bash was over, then. Although, the other kids just went to some popular jock's crib and continued partying there, this time with alcohol, drugs, and ridiculous Rated M party games. By the time we figured out the party was over, me and Cat were the only ones left. Our friends never looked for us, which I thought was unlike them. Maybe they thought that I and Cat had already left? Probably.

We're walking to her car, elbows linked, when my phone suddenly rings. I fish for my phone from my pocket and unlocked the screen, the message popping up at once. Cat leans closer to me with a curious look in her eye. It's a text from André. I read the message out loud.

_"Hey Tori! We tried looking for you and Cat to greet you two a Happy New Year, but we couldn't find you guys._

_You and Cat must have gone home early. I understand whatever the reason is. It must be because the DJ sucked half the night. Except for the line dances, those were tight._

_So, Happy New Year to you, Tori! You're probably with Cat at the moment so, Happy New Year to you too, Cat!_

_I hope all goes well for Lil' Red and of course you, Tori. Stay strong. I'll see you two when school starts."_

I totally forgot. André is going on a vacation to Seattle. We won't see him until classes resume. I type in my reply, saying:

_"André! Happy New Year! Sorry you couldn't find us. We actually left just after the countdown._

_It was earlier than we planned but we still had fun! Cat says Happy New Year, too! And thanks._

_Have fun on your trip! :P"_

After feeling completely satisfied with my text, I press the send button and wish André good luck on his way to the Emerald City. We continue strolling down the parking lot, heading to her Prius. Once we get there, we plop down on our seats, buckling our seat belts, and began the drive back home. I hold her hand that's not on the wheel, not really caring how dangerous it is for Cat to drive with a single hand on the steering wheel. At least her car has automatic transmission. We stayed silent almost the whole journey. I didn't want to risk ruining this tranquil moment. However, when she turns into the street going to my house, I had to speak up.

"Cat, we're not going to my house." I state.

"We're not? W-Where are we going, then?" She asks curiously.

I build up my courage before telling her the answer. "We're going to... your house."

Cat slams on the brake a bit too forcefully; the whiplash nearly sent my head to the dashboard. Luckily, we had our seat belts fastened, or else our faces would have smashed against the windshield. My heart is palpitating and my breath comes out in heavy pants. I put a hand on my chest to calm my heart down. I slump back against the car seat, heart still racing. I look at Cat, and she has a pained expression plastered on her face, her gaze downward, tears dripping slowly. Her left hand is clenched tightly on the steering wheel, while her other hand is slowly loosening its grip from mine.

"Tori, it took all of my will and strength just to grab my dress from my house. A freaking dress! We were only there for a few hours and what happened? I cried and cried until we left. I really don't think I could handle staying at my house for too long. There are just too many reminders of her in my room alone." She whimpers, voice barely audible. I tighten my grip on her hand before she has a chance to completely let it go.

"I know it's going to be hard for you. That's why I'm here with you. Cat, as much as it hurts me to say this, you need to face the fact, and I apologize for what I'm going to say, that your mom is gone. You can't just avoid all of this and say you moved on, when clearly, you still haven't. This is tearing you up inside. I can see it in your eyes. I even felt it in our kiss. You were hesitant at first, it's like you're using it as a diversion from your issues. It's hurting you inside and it still will be like that if you keep brushing this off like it's not that big of a deal."

"I-I don't... I-I'm not sure. I am trying to... but it's still killing me inside, knowing that I have no family left. I'm all alone."

"Cat, look at me." She hesitantly turns her head from the ground to face me. Her eyes are red and puffy. "You are not alone. Get it? Now, say it with me." She shakes her head. "Cat. Please." She exhales deeply.

"I-I'm not alone." She whispers.

"You're not alone. You still have your Nona, your granddad, and... you have me. I'm here. I'm here to help you. I'm here to support you. I'm here to love you." Her eyes widened in wonderment.

"W-What? Y-You love me?" She stutters.

Did I say something like that? I don't think so. I mean, I remember saying that I'll help her, that I'll support her. That I'll...

Shit.

For some reason, I couldn't answer, despite the fact that the answer is obvious. I answered her question in the only way I could think of. I kissed her. It was simple, soft, and warm. The kiss wasn't like last time, where my hands tangled in her hair and her hands linked around my neck. It's merely a long peck on the lips. This small, sincere kiss tells all.

I love her.

I pull away from her, lips parting with a quiet sound. I take my hand and wipe off the remaining traces of her tears on her cheek with my thumb. She gives me a small smile.

"Okay, we'll go to my house. But don't blame me if I go crazy. You don't even have any clothes on you other than what you're wearing now." She tells me.

"I won't blame you. And I'll just borrow your clothes." She nods in agreement.

As she starts the drive to her house, I completely forgot that we were still in the middle of the street when we stopped. Fortunately, no angry drivers were behind us. It is midnight after all. We talk about our friends and their winter break plans during the trip to her place. André is headed to Seattle. Robbie booked a cruise with his family to Alaska, though I'm not sure if that was such a good idea on his part, since currently, it's practically freezing in Alaska, and Jade and Beck are finally going to Cancun they planned for months now. That just leaves me and Cat here in LA, which we don't mind one bit. Once we arrive at her house, she parked the Prius in her driveway, tears again beginning to fall. I hold her hand tighter, brushing my thumb against the skin of the back of her hand. I give her a reassuring look, and we get off the car and inside the house. The house was just like the last time we were here, so it's safe to say, nothing was robbed from her home. She yawns tiredly, and I can't help myself from doing it, too. It is almost 1:00 AM, yet it felt like it was longer than an hour since we first kissed at the rooftop.

I suggest to her that we should go to sleep because we were still dizzy from all the dancing and kissing. Mostly from the kissing. We head upstairs to her room, hand in hand. No, we're not going to make love, mind you. Although, it would cap off on what has been an amazing day so far.

Stop it, Tori. This is not the time for hanky-panky with Cat.

We enter her room, and we change into our sleep wear. I pick an outfit from Cat's wardrobe and put it on in her bathroom. I chose a pink tank top which actually fits me perfectly and a pair of white gym shorts. I look like I'm headed for the gym. But hey, I feel more comfortable in these clothes rather than what I was wearing at the party. When I walked out of the bathroom, Cat was already in a white tank top and pink shorts. We both stare at each other's reverse yet matching sleep wear.

"Did you read my mind, Tori?" She laughs at our matching outfits.

"Nope, it's pure coincidence. Come on, let's go to sleep." I lie down on her bed, urging her to sprawl down beside me.

She plops down right next to me, facing each other. I remove a strand of her red velvet hair from her face, earning a blush and a smile from her. I stare at her coffee-hue eyes, cup her cheek and lean in closer to kiss her.

"You're going to be okay, Cat. I promise." She nods. "Kay, Good night." I kiss her again before closing my eyes.

"Good night, Tori." I hear before losing consciousness and drifting off.

I dream about that midnight kiss, replaying in my mind over and over.

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><p>I wake up with a chill all over my body. What the heck? It's not even that cold. Oh wait, I just got to pee. I check the alarm clock beside me, 3:15 AM. I've only slept for two hours, huh. I get off the bed, slip on a pair of flip-flops which I borrowed and head straight to the bathroom. After handling my business in there, I walk back in the bedroom and I notice something's strange.<p>

No, not something's strange, more like, someone's gone.

Cat.

Panic surges through me, my breath rapidly panting. I leave the room and scan the area like a cop with a search warrant. My eyes dart around the rooms, waiting to catch a sight of Cat. My lips are trembling, whilst calling out Cat's name. I check every probable room she would be in, the bathroom (if she had to pee), the living room (if she wanted to watch TV. You'd never know.), and even the kitchen (if she was hungry). There is only one more place I hadn't looked into, that one place where I thought she would never ever go into again. If she's not there, then I don't know where else she could be.

I ran to the door leading to a set of stairs going down into the dark, gloomy basement. This place is giving me the creeps, and I didn't even bring a flashlight. It turns out, I didn't need it. There was enough moonlight shining from out the two small windows to light the room just enough. When I reached the bottom of the steps, I trample on something that made a loud crunch. I checked the bottom of my slipper, and see a roach, dead.

Dead...

Fuck!

"Cat!"

I find the red-head on a chair, the chair where her mom last stood, I presume. She's not standing on it, only sitting. I don't see any ropes nearby, so she's not going to do what I thought she was planning to do. Cat is staring at the ceiling, sniffling, the tears obviously running down from her red eyes.

"Cat? Cat, I'm here. Please don't cry." I plead. She doesn't even look at me, let alone respond. I notice a metallic object on the ground beside her.

It's a pair of scissors.

The scissors were sprawled on the floor, open. One of the sides has a faint trace of blood. The panic earlier has been replaced with extreme anxiety, or possibly hysteria.

"Cat, come on, let's go back to your room." Again, no response. I trudge closer towards her, and I notice the small cut on her right wrist, blood still dripping. I instinctively reach out my hand to the wound to somehow quell the bleeding. All of a sudden, she slaps my hand away. She escapes the basement quickly, leaving me in a daze. I check my hand and it is completely red from that hard hit. I run after her, screaming her name. I see her crawled up against the arm of the living room sofa, trembling and stuttering with fear.

"Cat, please, talk to me. I told you I'm here right." I sit down beside her carefully.

"I-I had a dream and a nightmare." She softly whispers. I hold her close, her head leaning on my shoulder. I urge her to tell me the whole story.

"It was like a montage of my memories with my mom. When I was a kid, me and her would go to the park and have lunch picnics, play in the swing set, catch butterflies. We made handicrafts, knitted sweaters, collected stickers. My mom was my only best friend in the world. She always made me happy every time I'm mad, sad, or anything else in between. But at the end of each memory, my dad would take her away, leaving me alone. I called for her but she didn't come back. And the last thing I remember, we were visiting my dead aunt's funeral, mourning for her, when all of a sudden, my dad comes out of the closed casket and drags my mom inside it. Then it was lowered, until it hit rock bottom, and the cemetery workers dumped the mound of dirt on it. I tried to stop them, but they were not listening. I had to dig the ground myself with a shovel they used. I dug at the mound until midnight but the casket... she was gone. And it scared me. It still is right now. I'm scared, Tori. It's only been a few days... How am I supposed to handle the rest of my life? She was my mom, my best friend, my everything. When my dad wasn't there, and he usually isn't, she's there, supporting me, cheering me on. And now, who's left? I know you're here, Tori, but she's different. She's my mom, and you can't ever replace that. You can't ever replace the love and support and care she gave for me. And she's gone. Gone because of... him! Fuck you dad!"

I cringed a little when she screamed that swear word out loud. She escapes my clutch, grabs the family portrait on the coffee table and throws it to the wall, glass shattering and the wooden frame breaking. I just let her cry herself out until she calms down a bit. After 10 minutes, I hold her again in my arms, my fingers tracing the wound on her wrist. I coo soothing sounds in her ear until she stops sobbing.

"Look, I'm not trying to replace your mom. She's very special to you, I know that. But I want to be special to you, too. I want to give you the love, care, and support that you deserve. It may not be as much as what your mom has given you throughout the years, but I can give you enough to last the rest of your years. At least let me try. I love you, more than you can ever imagine." I softly speak in her ear. She pulls back from my grasp, shifting her gaze at the floor.

"Why? Why do you love me? Why now? Is it because no one loves me anymore that you felt like it's now your obligation to love me?"

I grab hold of her shoulders to make her look me in the eye.

"No! It's not that. I love you because... you're special to me. You're the most caring, kindest, bravest individual I ever knew. And don't you ever dare say that no one loves you anymore. You have your friends, your Nona, your granddad, me... and most importantly, her. She's still looking down over you, giving all the love, care and support you need. She will never stop doing that. You may not feel it physically but you can feel it in your mind and heart. And, please, don't ever cut yourself again. I was extremely worried. Cutting yourself won't help you. Sure, at first it will relieve the pain but in the end, it will hurt you."

She closes her eyes, the last of her tears dripping to her cheek. I wipe them off with my thumb. She opens her eyes again and gives me a small smile.

"Thanks. And, sorry. I guess I needed that reality check."

"No worries, I sort of expected you would lash out at some point. You can't hold it in forever." She chuckles lightly.

"Yeah. And, if it makes you feel any better. I..."

Before the end of that sentence, I kiss her passionately. A soft, gentle kiss, indicating that I'll be with her until who knows how long. I pull back, staring at her mesmerizing coffee-colored eyes.

"I... Thanks, Tori. You're the best."

Now, that got me wondering what was she going to say at first.

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><p><strong>So, remember when I said that the smutty part might come in this chapter? Yeah, I lied. I had to make a few changes with the plot. I actually edited some parts of the earlier chapters to match with what's happening now. The smut might come very late, depends on how I write the rest of the chapters. I got the next chapter laid out. Well actually, it's just the bare, straight to the point summary. I just need to add more details and other possible fillers.<strong>

**Shout out to Waitwhathuh for helping me in a time of need. Salamat (Thank you)! I got a huge writers block and she totally saved my ass. I asked for some advice and here we are now! If you don't know Waitwhathuh, y'all should definitely check out her fanfics 'Falling-Out' and 'Dead to You'. Those are some crazy ass stories. I've read 'Dead to You' like three times! Crazy shit.**

**Lastly, it's something off-topic but I'm going to brag, here. I'm fucking ecstatic recently. I got Amber Montana (from Haunted Hathaways) to follow me on twitter! Yeah, she's no Ariana Grande but she's still pretty awesome. And we actually converse from time to time, small talk, though. I died a little inside when she followed me. If you don't know the Haunted Hathaways, it's worth a look. It may not be a Dan Schneider show but it's still a pretty good sitcom.**

**MOST IMPORTANTLY, REVIEW! Whatever you like to say, put it on there. Love y'all my jiggas.**


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: Hahahahaha... Nope. It ain't mine. But you could be. :')**

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><p><strong>Cat's POV<strong>

Tori was right. She's always right.

I have to face this situation head on. I have to stop avoiding it just because I'm scared to be alone when in fact, I'm not alone. I don't have to be scared because I know, my mom's gone and in a better place.

So how am I spending my morning, then?

I'm reliving my past by viewing them through a glass screen assisted by videocassettes. In layman's terms, I'm watching old VHS tapes of home videos on my television. And I'm doing this under my jurisdiction. That and Tori promised me she would let me lay my head down on her lap while we watch together.

That's where we are now. We are in the middle of watching my 4th birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's. Her hand is ruffling through my scarlet hair, and she knows how relaxing it is for me. I tilt my head slightly to look at her with a sincere smile. She grins back at me with an added wink. My cheeks burn up as I avert my eyes back to 4-year-old brunette Cat on the screen.

I'm in the ball pit with a few friends (Yes, I did have some friends, most of them our neighbors) and my brother, who was 6 at that time. All of us, excluding my brother, were happily jumping up and down and even across the rainbow of balls. My brother was in a far corner, trying to eat one of the balls. Right then, the camera pans out to my mother, who was outside ball pit scolding my brother for chewing on things not supposed to be chewed. My mom looked disappointed at him but when she faces the video camera, she beams widely and proceeds to explain, "Do not eat the balls in the ball pit. Or else, you might lose your teeth!"

I giggle at that, feeling a single tear run down from my eye. Tori notices this and she wipes it off gently. For the first time, I don't feel like going in hysterics anymore because literally, I've run out of tears to shed. I look at her with a thankful expression. She just smiles meekly.

"You are so beautiful." She bluntly states.

I know I'm blushing again really hard. She always does this to me. Tori has this way of making feel like her arms are around me just with her words, like she's holding me up. She breaks through all the negatives and fills my heart with hope and happiness. It's something I never thought I would feel again after my mom died.

"How do you do it?" I ask Tori.

"Do what?" She replies.

"This." I gesture in the space between us. "You always make my lungs fail, my body shiver giddily with every heartfelt thing that you say and do to me."

"Well Cat, I could ask you the same thing. How do you do it?"

To be honest, I really don't know the correct answer to that. So I reply with the first thing that popped up in my spontaneous brain. I tangled my hand in her hair, lowered her head closer to my face, lifted my head higher, and kissed her. It's not a forceful kiss. It's only a simple brushing of my lips to hers.

I like Tori. Well, it's obvious with the way I'm kissing her right now. But I've always had this crush on her. I have brushed it off ever since I knew, hoping it would pass. It actually started when I put the monster make-up on Tori last year. I felt really guilty so I promised to make it up to her. Since then, we hung out after school, studied for tests together, practiced acting for plays, sleep-overs at each other's houses, and other activities normal teenage girls do. But as I grew closer to her, I couldn't help but notice how her tan skin glows so beautifully in the light, how her eyes sparkle when I make her laugh, how her perfectly sculpted cheekbones standing out when she smiles. That's when I figured it out. I liked her more than just friends.

I was afraid at first, because I don't know if she'll like me back then. I'm crazy. I am ADHD. No, wait a minute. I meant to say, I have ADHD. Dang it, I'm not that good at grammar. One time, my brother barged in my English class and he yelled at the teacher...

Dang it!

See! My mind tends to drift off and most of the time, I barely notice it. That's why I'm afraid until now. I might drive her away with my craziness. After all, I went as far as cutting myself a few hours ago. And what did that led to? Me slapping her hand, running away from her and throwing our family portrait at the wall. So far, it hasn't happened. Tori leaving, I mean.

"I'm sorry about slapping your hand earlier." I say after pulling away from the kiss. I take her hand that I attacked earlier.

"Don't even worry about it. You were very emotional that time so, I don't blame you." She reassures me.

I breathe a sigh of relief. Her eyes are telling me the same thing, that it wasn't my fault. And maybe, I don't have to be afraid about this. But honestly, I still am, for a totally different reason.

Tori already told me she loves me. Not the 'best friends love each other' kind of love. She is in love with me. And that scares me. Because I don't know if I feel the same for her. I mean, yeah, I like her. But that's the difference. I like her, not love her. I do love her because she's such a great friend and she's helping me overcome my mom's death. But I don't think I'm ready to love her like she loves me just yet. After all, we haven't been together for a whole week, let alone a whole day. But that still doesn't change the fact that I like kissing her. Kissing her is good. It's drives all the bad away and brings all the good in. And who knows? Maybe in a couple of days or weeks, this small crush could grow into something better.

I return my attention to the video playing in front of us. Then suddenly, his face appears on the screen. He's actually smiling and laughing. Yeah, like he cares. He probably didn't care then, he's not caring now. It's all façade ever since, I assume. I clench my fists, wanting to just hit him. Hit him like how he hit my mom. Tori sees this and she rubs the length of my arm. I calm down immediately. She's my painkiller, the drug that eases all my troubles away.

We keep watching home videos until lunch time. I did not shed a single tear the rest of the morning. For the first time, I actually felt happy after watching my memories being replayed on the screen, except for the parts where he'd show up. I wasn't sad when I saw my mom on the TV, though I'm not even too sure myself how I felt. Incomplete, perhaps, but not total sadness. However, this Latina girl is trying her best to fill that empty void.

"Hey, Cat." I look down at her, my hand playing with her brown locks. We switched positions awhile back, so it's Tori's turn to lay down on my lap. "I know I might sound like a dork right now but, will you go out on a date with me?" She asks sheepishly. She's blushing so hard it's cute.

"I would like to. And, it's not dorky. I like straight to the point people." I say, giving her a poke on the stomach. She giggles lightly.

"Great! We can go now. I know a great place we can have our lunch. I'll drive us, even though I'm still only on my permit."

"You still don't have your driver's license, Tori? I'm unimpressed already." I deadpan.

"S-shut up." She stutters, head turning away from me.

"I mean, you did run over an old lady, right? If you drive this time, you might have this sudden urge to hit elderly women when you see them walking across the street."

"That was an accident! Oh fine, you'll drive." She states, the tone of her voice guilty.

"I'm kidding Tori. I don't even know where we're going so I'll let you drive... this time."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tori asks. I giggle lightly at her comment.

"If I remember correctly, that's what I always say." I retort with a smirk on my face.

"Whatever, let's just go." She grumbles. Sitting up, she gets off the couch and grabs my car keys on the coffee table. Tori's hot when she's hot.

"And that old lady survived!"

* * *

><p>"Tori, why haven't you backed out of the driveway yet? Or fastened your seat belt? Or put the key in the ignition? You need the key to drive, Tori. You know that, right?" I ask her, slightly confused.<p>

"I-I know. I'm just nervous." She mutters softly.

"Why? Are you afraid you might hit an old lady again?" I say, biting back a giggle.

"No! It's just that... You know, this is my first time and..."

"Why do you sound like we're talking about sex here?" Her eyebrows shoot up, mouth agape, trying to come up with a response. It seems like she doesn't know her sweet, innocent, little Cat Valentine is aware of what most teenagers desire, or at least the horny ones.

"What?! No... I... Never! I'm talking about our date. Like, it's my first time to go out on a date with a girl." She hurriedly stammers.

"Well, if you want my insight, this date will go bad if we don't, oh I don't know, leave." I scoff. Tori takes a deep breath, more like a sigh to me.

"You're right. I'm being dumb." She fastens her seat belt, inserts the key, and finally starts the car. "Let's go!" She happily exclaims.

We drive off into the California sun. I turned the radio on, and me and Tori jammed along the songs playing. After for what seemed like 15 minutes, we arrived at our destination. I did not even notice where we are until Tori stopped the car in the parking lot. I stare at the building, slack-jawed.

"Oh my god, Tori. Chuck E. Cheese's?!" The white bricked building was the same as ever, windows around the place, giving a preview of the arcade and the actual restaurant.

"I kind of got the idea when we were watching your 4th birthday video. You like it?" She asks timidly.

"Yes! I haven't been here since that same birthday, to be honest. I love it." I look at her with a grateful expression.

"I'm glad you love it." She smiles shyly at me.

We leave my Prius and head towards the door of the pizza restaurant. When we enter, a nostalgic smell fills the air. So many memories from that one time I had my birthday here. I see they removed the ball pit, but the animatronic show is still alive. The place is littered with racing simulators, first person shooting games, claw cranes, a prize redemption kiosk, and a photo booth. We head to the counter and we place our order, the $20 deal that includes a medium pepperoni pizza, two soft drinks, and 25 tokens for us to use in the arcade. Tori insisted on paying, and after begging almost to the point of her kneeling, I let her pay our lunch. Once we were given our food, we look for a table for two. We find one near the photo booth. Tori sets down the food on the table.

"Allow me." I hear Tori as she pulls the chair out for me. I giggle at her dorkiness.

"Why thank you, kind lady." I give her a bow of thanks, matching her quirkiness. We both sit down, hands itching to get a taste of the still-hot pizza.

"You don't think this is kind of pathetic for a first date? We're in a pizza place for kids." She asks me with uncertainty.

"Tori, I love it. It brings back a lot of memories. And so what if this place is aimed at kids, I'm Cat Valentine, remember? I love kid stuff. Although, I wanted to jump inside the ball pit one last time." I reassure her.

"Okay, good. Alright, well, maybe next time, we can dine at a fancy restaurant by the beach." She offers me.

"Next time? Hmm... I don't know. I'm barely impressed so far, I'm not sure about a next time." That was just a joke, but her face shows that she's convinced what I said is real.

"What? But y-you said... You like... huh?" She stammers hurriedly. I hold her hand, looking at her in the eye.

"I'm just kidding Tori. I really do love it. I do." She sticks a tongue out, while I smirk at her.

We start digging in to our pizza. I take a bite gingerly, hoping to get a good taste of the pizza. However, this pizza... well, it's not as great as I hoped it would be. Then again, this establishment is mainly for the younger ones. They wouldn't care how the pizza would taste, as long as it's pizza. I still eat three slices though. Tori ate only two, leaving the one last slice on the table. We both stare at it, and each other after a while. We're both thinking of the same thing.

"You can have it." I say... as well as Tori. We both said it at the same time, eliciting a few laughs from both of us.

"Come now Tori, you only ate two slices of pizza. I ate three. It's only fair that you get the last." I insist.

She grabs the last slice and before she eats it, she offers me a bite of her pizza. I gladly accept, biting off a small part of the pizza. Afterwards, she munches on it, picking off a piece of pepperoni and gives it to me.

"You're so dorky, Tori, I like it." I say before eating the pepperoni she had in her hand.

We both finish our drinks and soon find ourselves within the arcade area of Chuck E. Cheese's. We played almost every game we could see, expect for that zombie apocalypse one, because I hate zombies. A lot. They scare me. Tori challenged me to a race which I happily accepted and won. Then I was the one who challenged her to a game of air hockey, which she won this time. But really, I let her win that time. She did her triumph dance after that, and it was totally worth the loss. She's so cute when she's a dork. We tried our luck at the crane games but neither of us won anything. And we wasted like ten play tokens on them. Lastly, we went in the photo booth for photos, obviously. We we told by the machine to pose four different times. The first pose was us just smiling. Plain and simple. The next two were wacky shots, me and Tori making funny faces at the camera. And the last one was probably my favorite, Tori pulling me close for a passionate kiss. My hands wrapped around her waist, hers tangled in my red velvet hair. Her breath smells like cheese and pepperoni, but I don't mind at all. In fact, I know mine smelled the same anyway. Her tongue licked my lower lip, inviting her in to meet my tongue. She tasted like pizza, too. We didn't stop until after the photos were completely finished printing. We took two each, officially stamping this moment in our lives as our first date. We left Chuck E. Cheese's full, happy, and delirious from that make out session in the photo booth.

"So Cat, how was our first date?" She asks giddily.

"Eh, it's not bad." I deadpan.

"That's it? Not bad?" Her eyebrows scrunch up in puzzlement. Confused Tori is a cute Tori.

I shake my head, taking her hands in mine. "I love it."

She grins sheepishly and the next thing we know, we kiss right in the middle of the parking lot, not giving a care in the world who can see us. Right now, it's just me and her, and it feels so right. After hearing a few coughs from concerned parents, we pull out of the kiss, and we enter my car. I hoped no one took a picture of us kissing. We drive out of the area with the radio turned up. After belting out the lyrics of a few well-known songs, we reach an intersection, a perfect opportunity for asking a favor.

"Tori, do you mind if we go to the cemetery? I want to visit her."

"Of course we can go. Wanna head to Wal-Mart first to buy flowers? Or candles?" She glances at me before checking out the stoplight. Still red.

"Candles are enough. She loved candles, especially scented ones. Ooh, we can buy cinnamon scented candles!" I suggest.

"Did she like cinnamon?" The stoplight turns green at this moment. She notices this and proceeds to drive again.

"Dang it, she's allergic to cinnamon. I completely forgot. I'm so stupid." I face-palm myself.

"You're not stupid, Cat. You only forgot about it, maybe because she never brought it up." Hmm... Now that I think about it.

"Yeah, she never did. I've only heard about it from Nona when I made my mom breakfast in bed." I sigh, feeling slightly better.

"See? Now, let's just buy vanilla scented candles then. Everyone likes vanilla."

"Kay kay."

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><p>"Cinnamon, apple, new car smell, new house smell, bacon..."<p>

"Oh get that!" Tori speaks up. I stare at her dumbfounded. "What? It's for my dad. His birthday's coming soon. And he kinda loves bacon to the point where he's obsessed with it." She chuckles lightly as I grab the bacon scented candle.

"Bacon-scented candle, check. Wait, does your dad even like candles?"

"If bacon is on the name, I guarantee you, he'll love it." She explains.

I continue my search among the shelves to find that vanilla scented candle. A few moments later, I spot a white colored jar in the end of the aisle.

"Got it! Vanilla scented candle for my mom and we have this bacon scented one for your dad." I triumphantly shout as I grab the candle off the shelf.

"Great! Let me grab my purse and I'll pay for both." She rummages through her handbag.

"Nuh uh. You already paid for lunch earlier. I think it's my turn." I slowly take her hand out of her bag.

"I'm not arguing with that. I am running low on cash."

"What? This is supposed to be the part where you annoyingly insist that you'll pay instead of me." Again, this is meant to be a joke but she took this seriously.

"Oh... Um... Okay? I insist?" She stutters, a look on confusion on her face. I beam at her happily. "What?"

"You're so cute when you're flustered." I pinch her cheekbone, Tori sticking out her tongue at me again, her cheeks red.

We walk to the cashier, handing the blonde guy our candles. He looks like the same age as us, if not a year older. His name tag reads 'Jordan'. He stares at us, specifically, our hands holding on to each other.

"Alright, $12.58 is your total, ladies." Jordan tells us. It's so obvious he's checking us out. We just ignore him, though.

I take out my wallet, and grab $20 out of it. I glance behind me just to check if there is a thief behind me to take my money. Nope, no one behind me. That is until I see a man browsing for items in the aisle behind me.

No way...

I never thought I would see him again. I was under the impression that he left California. But no... He's standing a few meters away from me and he doesn't notice his daughter staring at him. I can barely hear anything from my surroundings, my mind focused only on him. The strong desire to punch him quickly fills in me. My breath comes in heavy huffs, fists clenched and ready to hit. I'm about to step closer until Tori holds me back. I don't hear what she's saying as I'm still forcing my way to him. Tori eventually drags me past the cashier and out of the store. She sits us down on a bench, rubbing the small of my back. I bite back the tears, only for them to fall down anyway. I don't even know why I'm crying. I'm not sad. I'm just... mad. Mad at him. Mad at me, perhaps. I'm mad at him because he never cared about his family, before and after my mom's passing. And I'm mad at me for being so clueless then. Maybe, I could have done something. Maybe, she wouldn't be dead now. I'm mad at me now because I couldn't do anything to him. I could have shown him how I felt. How I'm suffering. I want him to feel my pain. Not just physically, but emotionally too.

Tori pulls my head to her shoulder, her hand soothing my hair gently. She's whispering words like 'He's not worth it' and 'This will get you nowhere'. I hold her tightly, my painkiller starting to kick in again. She eases all the hurt even with just her presence near me. I feel myself go numb, tears stopped falling and my breath evens out. I kiss Tori on the shoulder as thanks. Thanks for supporting me. Thanks for caring for me. And thanks for loving me. I don't have to be scared anymore. I don't have a reason to. She never left my side when she saw me at my worst. She's always here for me.

I pull back from her and give her a kiss on the lips this time. It's not like the one we had in the photo booth, but this one was like the kiss we had the first time. Soft, gentle, and sweet. This time, Tori's the one who pulls out, her face flushed.

"You alright now?" She asks timidly. I give her a weak nod."Okay, still wanna go to the cemetery?"

"But I never paid for the candles." Right then, she shows me the paper bag she had all this time in her bag. Inside was the two candles we picked out. The two candles I was supposed to buy.

"Not fair. I was going to pay for them." I huff, pouting at Tori.

"Well, you're still the one who bought them. I took the twenty out of your hand and told that Jordan guy to speed it up. Before I knew it, you were ready to rip his face off. That's why I held you back. I didn't want you to get in trouble. Mad at me?"

"Of course not. I actually have to thank you for that. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't stepped in. I was letting my emotions control me. I promise I won't do that ever again." I hold her hand, her thumb grazing along my skin.

"Good. And if I do see you like that again?"

"Feel free to grab my arms and drag me out."

"Deal."

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><p><strong>*Insert deep sigh here* Finally, took me a while to figure this part out, again. Gotta give a shout out (again!) to Waitwhathuh for giving me tips on improving this chapter. I was only at the 2000-word mark and when I came to her, BAM! 4000 words it is!<strong>

**So whatcha thinking? Like it? Love it? Hate it? Put it all on the review. Like seriously, I'm not trying to sound desperate but, I NEED THEM REVIEWS!**

***ehem* Anyway, the next chapter might come out some time next month. Why? School is a BITCH. I already flunked two tests just because I was so focused on this. YOU GUYS BETTER BE HAPPY.**

**So, school's my priority now. Please don't tell me I suck.**

**Remember: That reviews inspire me to work on school better. Love y'all!**

**PS: I am marking February 18th the happiest day of my life. Why? Ariana Grande followed me on twitter! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! If she's following me, why aren't you, hmm?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Quick note: I APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY! LOVE YOU!**

**Disclaimer: See, if I did own Victorious, I would green light a finale episode about Tori and Cat revealing their true feelings for one another, they kiss, and a new series revolving around the both of them shall be made. But since I don't own anything, this will have to do.**

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><p><strong>Tori's POV<strong>

After that near fiasco with Cat's dad, I managed to calm Cat down. We were at the side of the entrance of the store, sitting on a bench, but we left almost immediately knowing that Cat's dad could exit the store at any moment. I couldn't afford a confrontation just yet. Not until Cat is ready.

We're now on our way to the cemetery to visit her mom. This time, Cat's the driver and I'm sitting on the passenger's seat. It's a silent ride but I'd rather have it that way than any other. Although, I do kind of miss the old Cat, the one where she rambles randomly about anything and everything that pops into her mind. After her mom's death, Cat acted more 'normally' and less bubbly and eccentric. Even during the Hollywood Arts New Year's Bash, Cat wasn't her random self as much, except for that time where she hugged me in that parking lot after we arrived. Of course, that is because her own mom decided to end it all and that had to affect Cat tremendously. I know, I've seen it first-hand. This isn't something that ice cream could fix, and trust me, ice cream for Cat is the ultimate pain reliever.

Would you look at that, time goes by and we arrive at the cemetery sooner than expected.

"Oh crap, we forgot something." I blurt out after realizing what we had forgotten.

"What is it, Tor?" She looks at me after parking the car.

"A lighter!"

"A lighter?" Her tone obviously sounds confused. "Why would we need a lighter? Please don't tell me you smoke, Tori."

"What?! No! First of all, I am not a smoker. I would like to live my life cancer-free, thank you very much. And second, the reason we need a lighter, well, how are we supposed to light your candle without a lighter?"

"Oh, I see your point. Wait, I think I have a matchbox in the glove compartment. Could you check?" She requests.

"Already on it." I open the compartment, shuffling though various papers and CDs until I find that small box. "Got it. Problem solved." I say, waving the matchbox in the air.

"Yay!" Cat raises her fist in the air in triumph. I give her a high five, Cat giggling lightly. She stares at me and I see myself doing the same into her eyes, her coffee-hued eyes...

I kiss her passionately, my hand cupping her cheek, and her hand entangling itself within my hair. Who would have thought that a single matchbox would lead to a make out session? Our tongues play with each other, eliciting soft moans from both of us. She pulls out of the kiss hesitantly, and for good reason. I was ready to go all out...

Wait, what? Tell me I wasn't about to do that. At a graveyard parking lot of all places! Plus, I don't think she would want that... yet. Mrs. Valentine's death is still pretty recent, and she's in mourning. Having s-... err, 'making love' would kinda ruin the idea of mourning.

We get out of her car, and I take her hand as we walk through the graveyard. We reach her mother's tombstone, Cat turning somber. She sits down cross-legged next to the gravestone, the scented candle on her hand. I follow her lead and sit right next to her. I take out from my pocket the matchbox I found in the car's glove compartment. I pull out a match and quickly ignite it. I hover the small flame above the candle, lighting it, and the strong scent of vanilla immediately fills the air. She sets the candle down onto the ground.

"Hi mom." Cat speaks up, her voice soft. "How's heaven? Have you seen the angels? Or maybe even Him? You know, I bet it is much better there than over here in Earth." She says solemnly.

When she said that, I got worried. I mean, if she said that it's much better up there than here, then it sounds like she's trying to...

"Cat?" My voice trembles with worry.

"Oh! No, no Tori. I never meant it like that. I'm not going to... I love it here on Earth. After all, you're here." Her cheeks blush, eyes staring into mine.

That hit a soft spot in my heart in more ways than one. "I love you, Cat." I mutter out.

"I... I know. I know you do, Tori." Cat mumbles. "Oh, by the way mom, I have some news. I'm dating Tori over here. We've been friends for a long time now, and I sort had this crush on her for a while now... Oops." She clasps her hands over her mouth as she let that slip. "I guess you know now."

"I've had the same feeling about you for quite some time too."

"I guess we really are meant for each other."

"Hold on now. We've literally just started dating today. Let's see if any feelings change after a few weeks because you'll never know what could happen. But to be honest, I really want us to last forever as cheesy that sounds."

"Me too."

I kiss her hand, her face obviously reddening more than before. I give her a sweet peck on the lips before she turns away.

"Tori! Not in front of my mom, or above her." She gasps.

I roll my eyes at her statement. We stay at the cemetery for 30 minutes, Cat laying down on my the ground with my leg supporting her head, telling me (and maybe her mom as well) about how her brother got sent to the mental ward for the third time in the last few months. Let me tell you, it is a long, bizarre story that need not be repeated. We decided to leave the candle where it is, the (still!) strong Vanilla scent lingering in the air. Cat drove us back to my house, aimlessly babbling about anything like the old Cat, that is until she saw a Freezy Queen on the way. She stops the car as she saw the shop, pointing at it.

"Tori, look! Freezy Queen! Can we please go?" She asks innocently, with her trademark pout on her face. This is definitely the old Cat making an appearance. And how the hell am I supposed to say no to that pout. I reply with a yes and I'm pretty sure she just squealed like a little girl. She parks the car and hurriedly opens the car door and begins to sprint into the ice cream parlor. Well, that escalated quickly. I go inside the small ice cream parlor, and surpisingly, the place is pretty empty except for a couple sharing a bowl of sundae.

"Ooh Tori, can we share a sundae, too?" Her eyes widen as she begs. She's tugging on my arms like a little child.

"Sure." I reply and she squeaks in excitement, again.

I ask her to wait at a booth while I order the ice cream. I head to the counter and told the cashier our order, a large bowl of vanilla ice cream sundae with chocolate chips and sprinkles, lathered with strawberry syrup. Since the store was practically empty, the dessert was ready in a minute or so. And as I head to the booth where Cat was bouncing with glee, I find that the store now is actually empty. The couple who was before us apparently had left, leaving me and Cat as the only customers in this Freezy Queen. When she saw the glass bowl filled with ice cream, I almost swore I saw her eyes glaze and her mouth water.

"Jeez Cat, you look like you hadn't eaten for days." I comment as I sit down in the booth, facing each other.

"Sorry, I just hadn't had any ice cream since who knows when. And you know about me, I love ice cream more than my red hair." Yes, that is true. I once asked her, would she rather lose her red hair or stop eating ice cream. She would give up her red hair if it means eating all the ice cream in the world. The girl loves her ice cream.

Speaking of which, I never really noticed it until now. Cat never ate or asked for any ice cream ever since Christmas Eve. I know it may not be much of a big deal, but I'm just curious, is all. I was about to ask that question when I suddenly notice that Cat is quickly chomping down on the frozen dessert.

"Hey, leave some for me!" I playfully slap her hand. Cat's already half way done and I haven't even taken a bite yet.

"Here, open your mouth." She offers a spoonful of ice cream to me. Since we were the only customers here, I decided to play along and open my mouth. She spoonfeeds me the dessert, which is actually pretty delicious. She chuckles heartily, and I'm sure I'm gonna strain my face from smiling too hard.

We take turns feeding each other and after five minutes, we're completely full and satisfied. We leave the shop, Cat more energetic than usual. It's probably the sugar rush after eating three-fourths of the sundae. I only ate a few spoons because I'm not a big fan of ice cream ever since that Ke$ha contest way back where we had to eat dozens of ice cream pints. I think I've grown allergic to ice cream after that contest. We took our leave and we drove back to my house.

"So, how are we supposed to tell my parents?" I ask on our drive to my place.

"About us, you mean?" Cat questions back.

"Actually, no. I don't think I'm ready for that just yet. I'm afraid what they might think." My parents expect me to be the perfect daughter they could ever have, and since Trina's out of the picture, I'm the only chance they have. That means, they want me to finish high school, maybe college, get a good paying job, but most importantly, they want me to have a family, with a husband and kids. And if I'm with Cat now, they'll probably lose all hope on having the perfect daughter. I'll just give it some time, then, I'll tell them.

"I'm talking about your mom's death because if you can remember, I told my parents that your mom and dad left you at home while they were in Paris." I say, looking at her face, or well at least the side of it.

"Oh, well, you can always tell them straight to the point. Or if you want, I could be the one to give them the news." Cat quickly glances at me and smiles, before focusing her eyes back on the road.

"I think that would be for the best. I'll just have to take the blame for lying to them."

"No Tor, I'll take care of that. I'm just gonna say that I told you to cover up for me. I don't think they're gonna get mad at me for that." She reassures me.

"Fine." I sigh. "But are you ok with not telling them about us?"

"Totally, I can wait for as long as you want. When you're ready, then I'm ready.

We arrive at my house soon after, and I'm surprised at what I saw at the driveway. Our car.

"Whoa, they're here already. I thought they weren't coming back until tomorrow." I'm starting to get nervous, and for what? They might have some sort of psychic powers that can check who am I in a relationship with. And if they see I'm with Cat, they might freak. Jeez, what am I even thinking? Sometimes, I think of the weirdest thoughts.

"Relax Tori, I'm gonna be the one to tell them, kay?" She reaches out to my arm, gently caressing it.

Cat parked the car behind our car. We got out of the vehicle, Cat giving me a quick peck on the cheek just before I opened the front door to our house.

"Tori!" My parents simultaneously greet me.

"Mom! Dad!" I gave my mom first a hug, followed by my dad. "Happy New Year! Sorry I wasn't able to call you guys earlier. I was busy hanging out with Cat."

"It's okay baby. That's why we came home early so that we can still celebrate New Years as a family. Hey Cat. Happy New Year to you." My mom greets Cat.

"Thanks Mrs. Vega. Same to you." Cat replies.

"So what brings you here Cat? Are your parents still in Paris?" My dad inquires. I can see Cat starting to feel uneasy. She takes a deep breath before speaking.

"Um yeah, about that, I have a confession to make…"

She directs all of us to sit at the couch. I sit right next to her just in case she gets emotional, while my parents sit at the other side. Cat tells the whole story to my parents, from her mom's depression to her death and funeral. Of course, she left out the part about us dating but that will be a story for another day. Both of my parents looked melancholy after the story.

"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry that happened. Come here." My mom stands up and pulls Cat in for a hug.

"And you knew about this, Tori?" My dad asks me.

"Tori did know, Mr. Vega. But I told her not to tell you guys yet, because during that time, I wasn't ready. Please don't get mad at her." Cat pulls out of my mom's hug and interrupts as I was about to answer my dad's question.

"No worries Cat." My mom tells her. "We're not mad at Tori. We understand your reasons, right David?" My dad nods in agreement. "Anyway, wherever your mom is right now, she loves you a lot and she doesn't want to see you as depressed as she was." Cat nods meekly.

"If you ever need a place to stay, you are free to stay here for as long as you want." Dad suggests.

"Oh no, I couldn't. I might be a burden to you." Cat trying to refuse.

"Nonsense. You won't be a burden to us, Cat. Treat us as your second family." Mom insists.

"T-thank you." Cat mutters. "Um, is it okay if I stay here today?"

"Like there's even a need to ask. I already said you are welcome to stay for as long as you want." Dad reiterates.

"Thank you very much. I don't know how I'll ever repay you guys." Cat says.

"Well, you could always make my bed everyday." I suggest joking, but my parents seem to argue. Cat's laughing though, so I'm good.

"Tori!" My mom gasps, eyebrows raised.

"I'm kidding, mom. Come on, Cat. You can stay in my room." I stand up as I lead her to my bedroom.

"I'll call you girls when dinner is ready." I hear as we climb up the stairs. As I'm about to head into my room, I hear the door near me open. I turn around to find my sister, all dressed up.

"Oh hey sister!" Trina screams at my face, literally.

"Ugh, hey Trina." I groan.

"You sound angry."

"Well, considering you just yelled in front of my face, I'm doing okay actually."

"Why do have Cat with you?" She asks with a quizzical look.

"She's staying for the night."

"Hi Trina!" Cat greets my sister with enthusiasm.

"I'm sorry." Trina suddenly becomes solemn.

"What?" Me and Cat simultaneously say. "Why are you sorry? You barely even have a heart." I ask, earning a small snicker from Cat.

"Ignoring that hurtful statement, I'm talking about Cat's mom. It's all over The Slap. The whole school trended '#PrayForCat'. I was confused at first, like, I thought Cat was injured or maybe even dead. I checked what the trend was about. Then, I saw people commenting about your mom committing suicide. And that's how I knew."

The Slap, huh. Now that I think about it, I never checked The Slap for the past week. Neither does Cat, I assume.

"Well, anyway. I'm sorry for your loss, Cat. And Tori, tell mom I'm staying over at a friend's house. Thanks." And that was the last thing she said before going down the stairs.

"You tell her! She's downstairs!" I yell at her, only to be replied by a sound of a door slamming.

"Maybe, your mom went to the bathroom and Trina somehow knew?" Cat hypothesizes.

"I don't know. Forget it. I'll tell my mom later at dinner." I shrug as I open my bedroom door. We enter my room and as I closed the door, my lips met with the softest lips know to mankind. Our lips part with a soft smack.

"What was that?" I mutter. That simple kiss took my breath away.

"A little thank you. And I might just hit you up on that offer." She winks suggestively.

"What offer?" I ask confusedly.

"Me making your bed, silly." She playfully punches my arm, her mouth beaming widely.

"But I was kidding, Cat." I reason with her, my hands on her shoulders.

"Well, someone's gotta do it after this."

And she pushes me down the bed, straddling my waist. She leans down closer, eyes fluttering and her soft lips meet mine once more. My hands entangle in her ruby hair, deepening the kiss. She licks my lips, and I gladly oblige, opening my mouth and meeting her tongue with mine. I decide to turn things around. Literally. I flip her over, me being on top now. Now her hands are all over my hair and mine are caressing the smooth plane of her stomach. This crazy, all of a sudden, yet extremely passionate make out session goes on for who knows how long, and back and forth too, her on top, and then me on top. We reluctantly pull apart when we heard my mom yell 'Dinner's ready!' from the bottom of the stairs.

"Jeez, we just started dating and we're already making out like a couple that went steady." I comment, still panting heavily.

"I know. I've waited a long time for this, Tori Vega." She says, biting her lip.

"How many times have we kissed today?" I ask curiously.

"Should there be a limit on how many times we should kiss per day and how long each lasts?" Cat suggests.

"No, no, no. I'm okay with the kisses. I'm just, um… since we just started going out and all, you know… uh, shoot I don't know how to say this."

"People that just started dating don't usually kiss on the first day?"

"Uh… yeah." I mutter, looking away. I know, it's a stupid thing to think about.

"Well, this is different. I like you for a long time now, and you like me for a long time now. And if you remember, Tori, we kissed before we started. You know, the rooftop kiss. After that kiss, then we decided to try this out. That kiss was the start of us."

"I guess you're right. I was being stupid with what I was thinking."

"Don't down yourself Tori." She kisses me for like the millionth time today, and we don't stop until my mom called for us again.

"Dinner's going to get cold, girls!" We hear my mom shout from downstairs.

Both of us are out of breath, and deliriously happy. We both get up from my bed, having one last kiss before we go down to eat some food. Wow, she was right. The bed does need fixing.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'M SOOOO SOOOORRRRYYYY!<strong>

**Did it really take me two months to finish this chapter? Nope, I just started this chapter last week. I was completely busy with school. This is why you don't go to college, kids. Get a job! Or whatever you like. Another reason that I didn't start immediately was the LACK OF REVIEWS. It hurts me, it depresses me, knowing that the review count doesn't go higher.**

**Anyways, when can you expect the next chapter? Let's see, if the review count goes to 30 (I dare you), I'll post the next chapter next week, or as soon as possible. If not, maybe the week after. I'm just human! I'm not a computer!**

**Please review to make me happy. It gives me butterflies in my stomach. If not, it gives me the rash.**

**By the way, I'm sooooo soorrrryyy.**

**Oh, and if you see any spelling errors or grammar errors, feel free to correct me. I will correct it ASAP.**

**Love you!**

**UPDATE: I know I said when the story reaches 30 reviews then I'll post the next chapter. I'm sorry to tell you that it might take a while. But when I do post the next chapter, expect a lot of tension, drama, and fluff. I'm going for broke in this next chapter and go for 10K words. I'll try tho. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, I somewhat lied. I went for 10000-ish words but I decided to cut that long chapter into two chapters because the latter part is better told in Tori's POV.**

**Okay, I somewhat lied again. I couldn't get to the 10000 word column, so I only got until 8000, which would evenly divide into 4000 in each chapter (this one and the next).**

**Disclaimer: Victorious... I am not victorious in claiming this show as mine. Yeah, I don't got any more witty lines.**

**TRIGGER WARNING: GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF VIOLENCE IS PRESENT IN THIS CHAPTER.**

* * *

><p><strong>Cat's POV<strong>

"Cat. Cat, wake up." I feel someone shaking me lightly from my slumber.

I wake up with a start. Drenched in a cold sweat and heart rapidly beating, I sit up and bury my face in Tori's chest. I just had another dream about my mom, and her disappearing...

"T-Tori, my mom..." I mutter, tears forming already.

"It was only a dream, Cat." She reassures me, holding me tightly in her grasp.

"I-I know. I just, I really miss her." I say, my head buried in her chest.

"I bet you do. A lot." Her hand runs over my back, comforting me.

"I guess I'll keep having these dreams for a long time." I conclude.

"And I'll be here right beside you." I look up and into her eyes. I give her a short and sweet kiss on the lips, but I pull back quickly because my breath feels like crap. "Ok, now that we're awake, let's get ready for school." She tells me, breathing considerably heavy for such a short kiss.

I groan loudly. "School? Can't we just stay home and cuddle all day long." I emphasize my point by nuzzling my head on her shoulder, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"As tempting as this is, and trust me that this is very, very tempting, I honestly don't want to skip school today. We haven't seen our friends for more than a week now, and I miss them. Maybe, we can tell them, you know?"

"About us? Are you sure about that?" I double check.

She nods. "I've been thinking about it for some time now, and I believe they deserve to know."

"Okay, I guess I'll go to school just for that." I sigh, jokingly of course.

She laughs as she stands up. "Good, now get your little ass up and off my bed."

"You have stared at my ass for too long." I hear Tori choke on her breath, her face blushing hard. "You're so cute when you're embarrassed." I dap her nose before leaving her room.

After almost an hour of taking a shower, deciding what to wear, how to do our make-up, eating our breakfast and other little things, we are now on our way to Hollywood Arts. Tori's driving... in her car!

Yes, my little Tori has finally earned her license after I insisted she try the driving test again. After she passed that test without hitting any old women, we immediately went to the used car lot where I got my Prius for a good deal, browsing for the perfect car for my girl. Her parents promised to double whatever Tori's savings were, which was at $1100. She had $2200 in picking a perfect used vehicle. We browsed through the lot until we saw a blue 1995 Toyota Camry. It was still in running condition, no dents or scratches, no funky used car smell, and it was only priced at $1650! She bought it immediately. That gave her $550 left to spend in whatever she liked. I remember her telling me that she would save that money on a future date, then we made out in her new Camry. I'm really grateful she got that car. Now, we match because both of our cars are Toyota's and I think it's cute that our vehicles are of the same company.

Ten minutes pass and Hollywood Arts looms into view and I feel nervous but excited at the same time. This would be the first time we were back in school since that party during New Year's, which was the best day of my life as cheesy as that sounds.

"Are you sure you're ready to tell them, Tor? You can back out now and we'll keep this our little secret." I ask her, noticing her hands fidgeting on the wheel as she parked the car. She takes a deep sigh before replying.

"Yes, Cat. I don't want to keep this hidden from our friends. I'm just afraid what they might think or say."

"I am too. But you'll never know until we try. And if they won't approve of our relationship, then they are not real friends."

"When can we do it though?"

"I don't know, maybe when the opportunity comes."

"Good plan." She gives me a quick peck on the lips. "Shall we head to class?"

"Gladly."

* * *

><p>"What do you think we're going to do today?" Tori asks as she sits on her chair.<p>

"I don't know. Sikowitz can be very random." I reply, taking a seat right next to her.

"Just like a cute perky redhead I know." She whispers in my ear, a thousand butterflies erupting from my stomach.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I play it cool, though, earning a chuckle from Tori.

"Point proven." Tori smirks. I stick a tongue out to her.

"Hello class!" Sikowitz greets as her enters the room from the window in front. He has a coconut in his hands, a straw already inserted. By the way he's looking around the room frantically, my guess is that he's already drank his coconut milk and he's having one of those visions. I wonder if I would get visions if I take a sip of his coconut milk. I've never tasted coconut milk before. Does it taste like coconut? Or does it taste like milk?

"Why are there horses frolicking around in this classroom?" Sikowitz asks, taking a sip from his coconut.

"Um, Mr. Sikowitz, you're just having visions, sir." I hear André explain.

"I am? Good Gandhi." Sikowitz acknowledges before drinking the last of his coconut milk, setting it down below the whiteboard in front of the room. "How long until class ends?"

"Class just started like a minute ago." Jade comments snarkily.

"It did? Oh boy." Our teacher sighs deeply. I think he doesn't have anything ready today. Perhaps this is the opportunity I'm looking for.

I raise my hand to get his attention. "Cat, if you need to go the bathroom, I've already given you permission last year to go as you please. It still stands until now." Sikowitz says before I even get to ask my question.

"No not that and thank you by the way. I think we should do alphabet improv if you don't have anything planned." I suggest, hearing a few groans behind me.

"What are you doing?" Tori whispers.

"You'll see." I smile at Tori, my girlfriend. Man, that feels awesome to say.

"Alphabet improv? Haven't we done this before? Like a really long time ago, back when you had pale white skin and straight hair, and Jade had brown hair and was less intimidating."

"Yeah but you seem like you have nothing planned, and this was the first thing that came to my mind."

"Touché. Alphabet improv it is. Now Cat, pick three people to join you." He tells me, taking a seat not far from me. I stand up and made my way to the small stage.

"Okay, I pick Robbie, Jade, and Tori." The three of them stand up from their respective seats, walking towards me onstage.

"Beck, pick a letter!" Sikowitz asks the long-haired boy.

"S." The long haired boy declares.

"S it is!" He then looks at us, signalling for us to start. "Improvise!"

"Somebody tell me how to flirt with girls." Robbie starts the improv.

"Tough luck." Jade comments, a slight hiss in her voice.

"Unless you want to learn how to flirt with boys." Tori reasons with Robbie,

"Very cute boys, I might add." I say.

"Why do girls not like me?" Robbie asks us. I'm wondering if he's still acting or not.

"X marks the spot, I see a dork." Jade points at him to emphasize her point.

"You really have to be harsh on the guy?" Tori tells Jade, concerned about Robbie.

"Zipper!" I point at Robbie's fly, his hands fumbling on the metal zipper.

"Not again. Wait!" Robbie suddenly realizes his mistake.

"Out, Robbie. You are out! Jade, start with the letter A." Sikowitz says, sipping on another coconut. When and where did he get that?

"Although, you and Robbie would make a great couple." Jade adds, directed at Tori.

"But I don't like Robbie." Tori explains.

"Come on, we should leave Robbie out of this." I request. I already feel bad for the guy after Jade said that mean remark.

"Didn't you tell me that you love Robbie, Cat?"

"Excuse me, she does not love Robbie." Tori defends me. I can already feel the boy's heart shattering to pieces.

"For the record, Robbie is my friend but I like someone else..." I try sliding out of this situation.

"Go on, tell me who he is and I'll personally give him a taste of what to expect if he decides to hurt you."

"Hear her out first, Jade." Tori pleads.

"I like Tori." I blurt out, the whole classroom in shock.

"Tori?" Jade asks confusedly.

"Jade, you are out!" Sikowitz tells her. She gives me a quick stare before walking back to her seat. I've been friends with Jade for a long time to know what that stare meant. It meant Tell me later. But now, it's time to make it official.

"Just tell everyone now. About us, I mean." Tori suggests, but I have something different in mind.

"Kiss me instead." I wrap my arms around her neck, hers around my waist. She leans in closer, our eyes fluttering, and our lips aligned. It's now or never. I press my lips against her soft ones, running my tongue over her lips. She accepts the invitation, her lips part and our tongues meet. And at this moment, I completely forget that we're in front of a classroom, making out passionately. I break out of my trance after hearing a loud cough I assume from Sikowitz. We pull apart, our eyes still locked with each other.

"I'm not homophobic, and I'm happy for you girls, but if you keep it up, the guys here might start pulling their 'things' and well, you know what they'll do. Anyway, let's give a hand for the new couple." The whole class claps slowly, led by Sikowitz, then it becomes a loud applause over the room. Me and Tori take a bow, acknowledging the fact that our friends doesn't seem to mind about us dating. Though, I see Jade and Robbie not joining in on the applause.

There is actually a reason why I picked Jade and Robbie in the alphabet improv. Well, I only picked Jade because she's my best friend. But Robbie's a different story. I know Robbie likes me. It's obvious with the way he acts around me. The thing is, I never liked him. I only consider him as a good friend. I picked Robbie in the improv because I didn't want to flat-out reject him in his face. I just wanted to show Robbie that I am not into him. I just hope he doesn't take this too hard. I don't want to lose a friend.

Me and Tori take our seats, my hand in hers. Our classmates whispering their congratulations and wishing us good luck.

"Well, now that the soft porno... err, alphabet improv is over, class is dismissed. And yes, I know we still have an hour left so consider yourselves lucky." Sikowitz tells the class as he exits through the window. Me and Tori stand up, greeted by some students giving us pats on the back. Hey, it's not that often you see a gay couple in Hollywood Arts. André comes up to us, a big smile on his face.

"So, Tori and Cat are together, huh?" He says, wrapping his arms around our shoulders.

"Yep, she's my girl now." Tori proudly exclaims.

"Well, you better tell the gang about the story at the Asphalt Café. Jade and Beck already went there. Come on, I'll treat the new couple some sandwiches." He turns to Robbie who was still rummaging in his backpack. "Hey Rob, you coming?"

"Nah, I'll have to do some stuff first. I'll catch up with you later." Robbie tells André, a hint of sadness in his voice. Man, he must be taking this really hard. I need to talk with him later.

"Suit yourself. Let's go girls." André leads us outside of the classroom and into the Asphalt Café.

* * *

><p>"So you two have been together since New Years?" Beck asks, taking a bite of his burrito after we told our friends how me and Tori started.<p>

"Yep, sorry we haven't told you before. We felt like telling you guys in person would be much better than by text or call." Tori explains, picking up her sandwich before munching on it.

"Don't worry. You two are our friends. If Cat makes you happy, Tor, then I'm happy. Likewise to you, Cat." André assures us.

"Thanks guys. Your support means a lot to me, to us." I tell them.

"You could have told me before, I'm your best friend." Jade tells me.

"I know. But remember, this is new territory we're stepping in. We didn't know how to handle it at first." I explain.

"What's done is done, I guess." Jade shrugs, while taking bites from her salad.

"You let us know if there are people bothering or hating on you two, and we'll put them in their place." Beck offers.

"Will do." Tori gives a mock salute to Beck, earning a light chuckle from me.

"Lunch is almost over, where is Robbie?" André notices that Robbie hasn't shown up for lunch.

Where is that guy, anyway? He said he was going to catch up with us, but he never showed. I really wanted to talk with him to clear things up.

"I don't know and I most certainly don't care." Jade heckles.

"Are you going to look for him?" Tori asks me, the rest of the group already with their own discussion.

"Maybe later when I get a chance."

I hope I do see him later. I'll talk to him the first chance I find him.

* * *

><p>It's my last class of the day and I can't take it anymore. This history class has half of the class asleep! I mean, who in their right mind would teach about the Middle Ages on the first day of the new semester? I'm not even listening at all. If only Tori was here then I can actually bear the class. Unfortunately, she has a math class now, and I didn't want to take a math class this semester. I hate math. History bores me. Heck, almost every class doesn't appeal to me. The only classes I like are my make-up class and Sikowitz' class.<p>

For the past hour, I've done a lot of daydreaming. I was a butterfly, fluttering through the meadow. I was a racecar driver, putting the pedal to the metal at speeds over 150. But my favorite one so far, I was with Tori. We were at a park, laid down on a blanket, cuddling and nothing else. That felt so serene. Well, I know where I'll take her this weekend.

Gotta pee.

I ask for permission to go to the bathroom, the teacher telling me to go quickly. I leave the room and as I make my way to the ladies' restroom, I saw a boy sulkily walking towards the front doors of the school.

"Robbie!"

"Oh hey Cat." He barely speaks up, a solemn tone in his voice.

"Hey... so um... where's Rex?" I ask him, trying to make conversation.

"He's back at home. He didn't want to come because it's only the first day of the new semester."

"Oh I see... Um... Why are you sad?"

"I think you know why." He hisses, a pang of guilt slicing through me.

"Look Robbie..."

"I know, I know. You never liked me. Every girl in this school barely tolerates me, and I just thought you were different. I thought you saw something in me that the other girls don't. I guess I was wrong."

"I do. I think you're a great guy. And maybe the right girl will come at the right time for you, but right now, that girl's not me. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry about how you feel. Look, I just need some time for myself to get my thoughts straight. Goodbye. And good luck with your new ... girlfriend."

Before he turns for the door, I grab his arm. He stops in his tracks, unresisting.

"Thank you for being a good friend." I give him a kiss on the cheek, hopefully making him feel a bit better.

"You shouldn't kiss other guys when you're dating someone. Goodbye." And with that, he exits the building.

I can't help but feel like I've lost him as a friend. I try not to cry but my tears think otherwise. I didn't notice Tori coming up behind me until she wrapped her arm around my shoulder, letting me lean my head on it.

"Babe, what's wrong?" She asks, her thumb wiping the tears from my cheeks.

"I-I talked to Robbie. I told him how I feel, but ... ugh, I don't know. He doesn't seem happy. He told me I should give him some space for a while to sort out his thoughts and feelings."

"I guess that would be best for now. Now, look at me." She tilts my chin up, her fingers brushing the hair from my face. "If after a while, he still isn't happy with us, then he's not a real friend. And you actually told me this earlier back in the parking lot. You need to know that it may actually happen, him not being happy I mean, and I want to know if will you be able to deal with that and move on."

I think about it for a minute. If Robbie's my friend, a true friend, then he should be happy when I'm happy with whoever I'm in a relationship with. If not, would that mean I should cut ties with him. I really want to be friends with him still. But I guess, maybe, if that happens then... yeah. Friends no more.

"If he's not okay with us, then we won't be friends." I decide. "But I hope it won't come to that though."

"Same here. But it's up to him. Ultimately, it is his decision."

I nod in agreement. "Yeah."

"Now, we need to get back to class."

"Aw, can't we just go home now. I'm drained, and tired, and bored." I urge Tori to skip. Hey, I skip once in a while.

"Where's your bag?" She counters with a question.

"It's... in my classroom. Dang it."

She chuckles lightly. "I'll see you later, Cat."

"Kaykay." I give her a quick peck on the lips before seeing her off.

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><p>Finally the day is over and now, I can cuddle all night with Tori. We decide to watch a movie while snuggling in bed so I had her drop me off at my house to grab a change of clothes since I'll be sleeping, once again, at the Vega residence. Her parents don't know about us yet so I can sleep in Tori's room without much suspicion. Why? They might think we're doing 'that' in her room if we've told her parents about us dating. Maybe we can tell them soon, as long as Tori's ready.<p>

"I'll be back in 5 minutes." I look at my watch, the display telling me it's 3:45 PM.

"I'll be right here waiting." She pulls me in for a quick kiss, before I step out of her car. I walk towards my door step, key in my hand.

Huh, the door's unlocked. I always secure our front door before departing for school. I open the front door and step inside my home. "Is anyone here? Nona, are you here?" I cautiously ask, slowly closing the door behind me. No one seems to be in the living room, so I check inside the kitchen. To my surprise, I was greeted with a familiar face whom I thought would never ever show up again.

"I expected you'd come." His deep, booming voice I haven't heard in a while.

"This is MY house." I made a point to emphasize on the word my. "What the hell are you doing here? You're not welcome here after what you did to mom."

"Look, Cat, I just came here to talk." My darling father tries to reason but I refuse to listen.

"No, I've had enough of your bullshit. Like, haven't you done enough?" Anger seething from my voice as I confront him face to face.

"Just let me explain myself." He seemingly begs.

"No. Now get out, asshole!" I yelled at his face before slapping his cheek so hard, I swore it bled immediately. I never swore at someone this much before, but it felt right to use at this moment.

And at that moment, I saw something in his eyes that scared me so much, I was staring at death. It felt like the monster in him woke up. All of a sudden, he grabs my neck with his burly right palm and pushes me against the kitchen wall. My head hitting first against the tiles.

"You don't know me." He growled, I swore his voice turned demonic.

I was in a panic as he tightens his grip on my small neck. I try screaming for help but with the way he's grabbing my throat, I can't even mutter a breath. I close my eyes tightly, not wanting to stare into his death gaze. I tried clawing his hand with my nails but to no avail. I attempted kicking him off of me but I lack the strength to do so. As he adds more pressure on his hand, I can slowly feel my throat crunching. My eyes feel heavy as I start to fade. But as I'm about to drop, I feel his hand releasing the vice grip on my neck. My body immediately gives in and I slump down on the floor. I saw in his eyes not the monster earlier, but someone else entirely. I saw the caring father I used to know before all of our problems started. Breathing heavily, I clutched my throbbing neck and my sight started to blur. Tears rushed out of my eyes but my sobs were muffled because of the tremendous pain in my throat. I couldn't scream for help. I'm in so much agony, I barely heard my father mutter under his breath the words 'What have I done?'. The last thing I remember was my father's footsteps hurriedly running away from me before everything went pitch black to me and fainted.

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><p><strong>Again, I'm terribly sorry for the delay. Too much schoolwork going on, and I have to get serious from now on. I can't afford another failing grade. Yes, I failed. Happy?<strong>

**Also, I apologize for some comments I made in the last chapter's A/N. They were rude, inappropriate, and insensitive. Bad of me.**

**I'm not guaranteeing anything, except maybe, if I'm not too worked up on school, the next chapter would drop before the end of May.  
><strong>

**So, you know the drill. Review! AND REVIEW FOR REVIEW'S SAKE. I've learned my lesson. :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm still here, don't worry. I am not abandoning this story. Not one bit.**

**DISCLAIMER: Let's just head on to the chapter, alright? I don't own Victorious.**

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><p>Tori's POV<p>

"It's Monday! Who throws a party on a Monday?" Trina, my oh so wonderful sister, called me a few seconds ago just to make me drive her to some senior party who they think that holding a party on a Monday is cool and rebellious.

"The cool seniors!" She answers "Plus, it's Shawn who's throwing the party. Come on, just drive me there." She groans over the phone. I let out a big sigh before giving my reasons.

"Okay first, I don't know where he lives. Second, he doesn't like you, not even a little bit. And third, you have your own car!" I scream on the phone.

"Whatever happened to our fruitful sibling relationship?" I can feel her pout through the phone, which I tell you, is ten times less appealing than Cat's pout.

"Don't you dare put the guilt on me. Just go on your own Trina. I'm busy." I try to hang up but she responds quickly before I disconnect.

"Busy making out with Cat?" As she said that, I nearly choke on my breath.

"W-What? What gave you that idea?" I stammer. How did she find out? I haven't told her anything, and I bet Cat didn't post it already on The Slap. I did plan on telling her later when I get home but I totally did not expect her to know about it already.

"Come on Tori. It's obvious. You always spend time with her every day, and when you're not together, you two are always talking on the phone or even video calling each other. That's too sweet to be just some best friend thing. It's more than that." She explains. Well, I guess that's that.

Defeated, I respond. "Okay, okay. Me and Cat are together. Alright? But please, don't tell mom and dad, yet. I want to be the one to tell them when I'm ready. Please, Trina?"

"Will you drive me to Shawn's party?" She counters. There always has to be something in return for her.

"Fine. I'll drive you to his house when I get there, even though I have no clue where he lives." I sigh loudly over the phone.

"Thanks, sis! You're the best. And don't worry, I won't tell mom or dad about your little lesbian relationship." She reassured me.

"You better, Trina." I grumble before finally hanging up the phone.

I check the time on my phone. 3:50. Five minutes have passed since I last saw Cat. Now, I'm not gonna be the stereotypical overly attached girlfriend but I am starting to get a little worried. She only went in her house to grab some clothes. Why would she take that long? Maybe she couldn't think of what to bring? Yeah, that's it. Or maybe she slipped on the floor and hit her head so hard, she passed out. Or out of nowhere, what if she had a heart attack? Oh my God.

Before I knew it, I was running for the door. Here's to hoping she didn't lock it. As I made it to her front door, someone suddenly burst through the entrance. I didn't move in time as the wooden door smashed against my face. The force was strong enough to knock me to the ground. I grimaced in pain as I tried to see who came out of that door. I could only see this man's back profile as he ran away, muttering swear words under his breath. I stand up, ignoring the sudden head rush. I ran inside the house with the safety of my girl the only thought in my mind. I did not have a chance to look at his face but there could have been only one person I could think of who came out that door. I searched the house for Cat until...

"Cat!" I saw her slumped on the floor, her small hands grasping her throat. I knelt beside her, turning Cat over so I can cradle Cat in my arms. "Cat, please wake up." I check her neck for any signs of life. I feel a faint pulse. That's a good sign. With haste, I grab my phone from my pocket, dialing the emergency number we all know and love.

"911. What's your emergency?" A female receptionist answers my call.

"I need an ambulance! My girlfriend was attacked!" I rush out, trying my best not to cry.

"Okay, do you have details about the attacker?" The woman asks.

It has to be him, it just has to. "It was my girlfriend's dad. Um, Cameron Valentine. I saw him running out of the house. He's white, bald, slightly muscular, and he's wearing blue denim jeans and a white sleeveless tee. He ran towards Vanderbilt Drive."

"Advise all units, be on the lookout for a Caucasian male, bald head, above average built, wearing blue jeans and a white tank top. Last saw on foot heading to Vanderbilt Drive." I overheard on the phone as she contacted the police.

"Okay Miss, what's the address of the house so I can send an ambulance from the nearest hospital?" She questions me. I gave Cat's home address to the woman. "Okay, an ambulance will arrive at your location in a few minutes." I thank her and I hang up the phone after that, wishing that the ambulance would come within ten seconds.

"Cat, please hang in there. Please." I plead, holding her body so close to mine. Tears are already rushing from my eyes, hoping that can wake her up. But she didn't. Soon then, the ambulance siren loudly rings from the front of the house. When I heard the EMTs come in the front door, I called them over to the kitchen. They rolled a stretcher beside Cat. The two guys checked for any signs of movement from Cat but she hasn't moved an inch. As they carefully fastened a brace around her neck, I caught a glimpse of her badly bruised neck before gently placing her on the gurney. I follow them as they head out to the ambulance, opening the back doors of the vehicle so they can enter along with Cat. I tried to come in with them but one EMT stopped me.

"Sorry Miss, you'll have to follow with your own vehicle. Standard rules."

I had no choice. I quickly hopped in my car, fumbling the keys as I start the ignition. The ambulance is already moving before I could even start the engine. I can hear my car roar to life as I drove behind the ambulance. I'm hoping and praying she won't be in as bad of a situation as I thought she was.

It pains me as much as it pains her, believe me. Cat being put on a stretcher and rolled out to the ambulance was not a sight I would want to see. But I know Cat. She's a fighter. Whatever happened and will happen, I'm sure she can conquer it. After all, she moved on from her mom's death. Or at least I think she did. We haven't really talked much about it ever since last week.

We made it to the hospital in less than a few minutes. The EMTs quickly got Cat off the ambulance and proceeded to roll her to the emergency room, me following suit after parking my car in a nearby spot. Of course, like what you always see in the TV shows, they wouldn't let me in the ER and they made me wait in the lobby. I sat down, mixed emotions running through my mind, mostly the negative ones.

I couldn't stay still, though. I pace back and forth in the lobby. A lot of thoughts pop up in my head. Mostly questions. Why did this happen? I have no idea. What happens to me? I don't know. To her? I don't know, too. Will she be completely fine after this? I hope so. I know she's a fighter and the strongest girl I've met. What could I have done better? What if I went in her house with her? Then maybe this couldn't have happened. Now, I feel guilty. Oh God, was all of this my fault?

"Excuse me." Breaking me out of my trance was a male doctor, presumably the one for Cat. "Are you a relative of Ms. Cat Valentine?"

"Um, no. I'm her girlfriend." I tell the man. His name tag indicates that his name is Dr. Isaac Mays.

"You must be Tori, then? Let me tell you that your girlfriend, Cat Valentine, is now awake and the first thing she asked for is you." He explains.

"Oh, thank god. Is she okay?" I ask the doc.

"That's where we meet a problem. It's best if you see her first." A problem?

Dr. Mays leads me to Cat. As we approach the room, he goes in before me. I deliberately enter the room, greeted by Cat with a small smile. She's on the bed, a plastic neck brace still around her throat. "Hey, babe." She reaches out her hand to hold mine. She starts to cry and I can't help but get teary-eyed too. "You're okay now."

"I-i-it h-hurts..." She whispers, her voice hoarse and shaky. That has me very concerned.

"Cat? Doc?" I look at Dr. Mays for answers.

"This is the problem I was telling you about. Reports show that Cat was choked. No, not the food kind of choked. She was choked out by someone. The person who choked her must have been moderately strong because the grip around her neck was forceful enough to damage her larynx, especially her vocal folds. Hence, the reason her speech is raspy and it pains her when she tries to speak."

"H-how long would it last?"

"It all depends on how she takes care of herself. If she prevents or at least limits the use of her voice, her larynx would heal within a month. But until then, I strongly recommend Cat not to speak at all to avoid further damage."

"W-what..." Cat tries to talk, her face wincing in pain.

"Cat, don't. Please. You'll hurt yourself even more. Is there any way for her to communicate without causing a lot of strain on her throat?" I say, desperation obvious in my tone.

"There are some non-conventional methods. She can write on paper what she wants to say but I think it would be very time-consuming."

"Anything else?" I ask because writing on paper isn't just going to work

"Well, according to my sources, Cat has once used a special headband with a Bluetooth speaker and a phone app that, when connected with the headband, enables her to type in the words and the headband will say it out loud. I don't remember the name of that headband or the app but you have used it, right, Cat?" She answers with a nod. That was way back last year when the gang was invited to Kenan Thompson's house party. I was busy humiliating a cheating ex-boyfriend of mine on a national web show but I remember Cat had a throat problem and she had to use this weird speaker headband that speaks depending on whatever she types on her phone.

"Or she can just whisper." The doctor continues. "It won't cause stress on her vocal folds as much as with talking. Ultimately, it's her choice."

"You wanna use the headband again?" I ask Cat. "If you do, I just want you to know that it won't change things. I wouldn't think any less of you even if I'll have to listen to that animatronic voice until you're fully healed." I assure her. She thinks about for a second and then gives me a smile and a nod.

"In that case, I'll get the headband from the storage room." Dr. Mays leaves the room to fetch the device.

My eyes focus on my girl's sad ones, brushing loose strands of her velvety hair from her face. "You'll be fine. I already called the police. They're searching for your dad right now. It was your dad, right?" She nods slowly, tears filling her eyes again.

"Okay, good. You'll be alright. I promise. You'll get better. You are going to talk again normally as soon as possible. Your dad will go to jail. Get the punishment he deserves." I reassure her as she begins to cry. I wipe the tears immediately off her cheeks. "You are the bravest, strongest, most resilient person I've known. You've been through so much and yet at the end of the day, you still have enough to have a smile in your face. You are amazing, and that's why I love you. You're my girlfriend and I'll do whatever it takes to see you happy. Fuck I'll even go streaking around Hollywood Arts if it means seeing your beautiful face every day. Hopefully, it doesn't come to that, though, but I would do it."

"T-Tori..." Cat mumbles, wincing in pain from speaking.

"Shh, don't talk." I cautiously straddle her waist, hopefully not causing her to lose her breath. Leaning in closer, I gently brush my lips over hers, careful not to mess with her neck brace. Both of my hands are at the sides of her head, lifting my weight up so I won't apply a lot of her pressure to her body. Her hands have a tight grip on my shoulders. I'm not sure if she's pushing me away, or trying to pull me closer. She wants me to kiss harder but I'm thinking she feels a lot of pain when I try to put some pressure on her body. I don't know how much pain she would be in if we tried to make out so this soft peck will have to do. This still makes my heart beat rapidly, anyway.

"Well, I can see why you two are together." I hear Dr. Mays behind me. We quickly break the kiss, Cat's face is as red as her hair. I feel my cheeks burning, too. I get off from Cat, brushing away the strands of hair from my face. "Don't worry, I didn't catch most of it. Here's the speaker headband." He hands the device to Cat. She then quickly wraps the headband around her forehead. Afterwards, she grabs her phone from the side table and clicks on the app required to connect with the headband. I guess she never deleted that app from the last time she wore that accessory.

"Try it out." Dr. Mays directs her. Cat starts typing down on her phone.

"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii." A robotic voice comes out of the headband.

"Cat, I don't think that 'hi' works with that voice." I laugh lightheartedly.

She types quickly, "Poo." I chuckle lightly at that.

I divert my attention back to the doctor. "Hey Doc, when can Cat go home?" I ask curiously.

"Well, to be honest, other than her larynx, there isn't any other significant damage done to other parts of her body. So, all you have to do is sign some paperwork, I'll give her some medication to ease the pain in her throat, give her a few soft neck collars for replacement, and she'll be able to leave today."

What the fuck? Today? Tell me he's joking.

"Are you serious?" I gasp, in which he answers with a nod. "Oh my god. Thank you." I give Dr. Mays a warm, grateful hug.

"Haha, I'm just doing my job. Now, I'll get those release forms and Cat is good to go." I let him out of my grasp.

"Thank you." Cat's animatronic voice tells the doc.

"Not a problem. I'll be back in a few minutes." He exits the room yet again, leaving me and Cat alone again.

"So, where were we?" I went back to my position earlier, Cat places her phone back on the table and we continued our placid kissing session. After a minute or two, she breaks the kiss, panting rather heavily. She stares in my eyes for what seemed to me a long time until she quietly murmurs those words I wanted to hear for a long time.

"I love you."

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><p>Fresh air at last. After getting caught again by Dr. Mays, he gives Cat what she needs to ease the pain in her throat. Normally, a parent should sign the forms so that their child is able to leave the hospital, but in Cat's situation, with her mom gone and her dad on the run, I signed the papers for her release. And now, 11:30 PM, we're back on the road, driving back to our house since that was the original plan after all. I could see Cat staring out of the window blankly. A red plastic neck brace is wrapped around her throat. At least the red collar matches her hair. I can hear her sighing deeply, followed by a soft groan of pain. It really does hurt me to see her hurting like this.<p>

Soon, we arrive at my house. Strangely enough, I see my dad's patrol car parked on the street. I leave my car on our driveway, before opening the front door to our house. I see both of my parents talking with serious expressions on their profiles. As we enter the house, both of them stare at Cat with shock.

"Oh my goodness, Cat are you okay, honey? I'm so sorry with what happened to you." My mom runs over and gives Cat a warm embrace, followed by Dad who lightly rubs her back. "We were worried, Tori. We tried calling numerous times but you never answered."

Huh, they called? "You called?" I check my phone and would you look at that, the battery's dead. "Forgot to charge my phone earlier. Sorry mom."

"No worries. We figured out what had happened through your dad here." My mom replies.

"Dad?"

"I was the officer contacted by the 911 operator you spoke with, Tori." My dad speaks up.

"Oh. Did you guys get him?" I ask, expecting an answer of yes.

"In a manner of speaking, yes." He reluctantly answers.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Why don't we all take a seat?" My mom directs us to the couches. I lead Cat to the left couch, plopping down onto the furniture. My parents sit across from us. Before my dad begins his explanation, I hear footsteps rushing down the stairs.

"There you are, Tori!"

Shit. "Not now, Trina!" I turn to her annoyedly.

"I'm going to be late! And you promised, remember?" I hate her right now...

"Ugh." I stand up angrily, grab my keys from my pocket and shove it down her palm. "Here, you can drive my car."

"Sweet! Thanks Tori." She gives me a peck on my cheek (which I rub off immediately) and quickly heads outside.

"Wait, Trina where are you going?" My mom shouts as Trina starts running to my car.

"To a friend." And that was the last she said before slamming the front door to start up my car. Maybe this was a bad idea.

"Forget about her." I tell my parents, sitting back down on the couch. "So, news about Cat's dad. What is it?"

"That's your cue, David." My mom directs dad to tell the story. He proceeds to explain.

"I don't know how I should say this, so bluntly, I'll tell you what happened. When you called, we couldn't find your dad immediately. Apparently he jacked a car to escape. We got a call that a vehicle was stolen by a guy that matches the description you gave. So we tracked that car until we saw it at a motel on the outskirts of town. We asked the receptionist where he was hiding. She gave us the room, we went inside, and we found him. Dead. He died the same way your mom died. He hanged himself to a ceiling fan with a rope."

Oh my god. I-I don't know what to say, or feel. Happy that he died, finally avenging Cat's death and his assault on Cat. Sad that Cat had lost the last one of her parents, the one who grew up with her and raised her to be who she is today. All of a sudden, Cat jumps up and runs upstairs to my room.

"Cat!" I am about to follow her when my dad stops me.

"Wait." He searches his pocket for something. "Here, give this to her. She deserves to read this." Dad hands me a crumpled up piece of paper. Could this be...

I quickly go up the steps but I slowly enter my bedroom.

"Cat?" I see her by my far window, staring blankly at the stars. I walk up behind her, wrapping my arms around her stomach. "You okay?"

"I-I don't k-know." She mumbles with her raspy voice, not even bothering to use her headband.

I don't know, too, to be honest. The guy did deserve a punishment but maybe he didn't deserve to die. No one does. It would have been okay if he was just arrested for a long time but this... I seriously don't know what to say, how to feel.

"My dad gave me something." I turn her around, showing her the scrap of paper in my hand. "He said you should read this. We can read it together if you want." She answers me with a curt nod before we sit down on my bed. I open up the wrinkled stationery and began to read the note with her, word for word.

_Dear Cat,_

_If you're reading this, I'm already dead. You probably wished for that since I know you hate me right now, but I wrote this letter because I just wanted to clarify a few things for you, to let you know my side of the story, even though you'll still hate me after you read this. I'll go ahead and say it straight to the point. I have severe anger management problems. Severe like when I spill water from a glass, I'd flip out and chuck the glass at the wall (true story). Anyway, this problem I have is the main reason your mom and I had a major falling out that led to her death. This started when I was fired from my job at the office. My boss accused me of stealing money from our budget, though I did no such thing. You and your mom never knew of this, however. I was in extreme shock and denial, I refused to believe that I was laid off. I kept on dressing up for work everyday, and going to the office only to be kicked out by the security. I flipped off the security guards. That's when I started going to bars at daytime. I was drinking all day, from morning until evening, just for an escape from reality. That's why your mom was always angry at me for coming home late at night, breath reeking of booze. I lied to her and said I had overtime at work and I only drank one bottle of beer to keep me up. One day, I got so shit faced drunk, I went to a "gentlemen's club" as some would call it but you probably know it as a strip club, and I regret to say and do it, I had a one night stand. I was drunk then so I never realized it until the day after where I was sober and laying down in bed with a working girl. Somehow, I gave my email to her, and she told me that I told her to contact me when she wants to have a good time. The night later, she sent me an email indicating that she had a great time and she couldn't wait for next time. That's when your mom found out about that email that girl sent me. I never intended to reply her email. I was planning on deleting that email. But your mom saw it and that was the start to our falling out. She wouldn't let me explain. She was so furious, that it made me furious as well. I was mad at her because she jumped to conclusions as soon as she saw it. I am not going to lie, if I was in her place, I might have done the same. But she was so mad, she wouldn't even let me talk. I lashed out at her without thinking. I guess it was all pent-up emotion. I called her a bitch. I punched her, and she collapsed. I was still so angry after what happened, I left immediately without a word. After I stayed at a motel for a few days, I felt sorry and regret. I tried to come back home and apologize but I couldn't because your mom had already committed. I received a text from my former co-worker that he heard that your mom hanged herself. I couldn't help but feel that I'm to blame. So, I never showed up. I hid from you. I couldn't show my face to you but I still felt this need to tell you my side. That's why I wrote you this letter. Though it seems impossible, I really wish that somehow you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I am sorry for what had happened to your mom. Then again, sorry won't bring her back, and me as well. I hope you find happiness the rest of your life. This will be the last time you'll ever hear from me again. Goodbye._

_From: Dad_

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><p><strong>You probably didn't see that coming, right? Or maybe you did. I don't know.<strong>

**A million sorry's to all of you for this very late update (2 months-ish). I got too busy with school, and when the semester ended, then I got sick, then we went on a family outing after I felt better, and then school started again (breaks between semesters are short in where I'm studying). I barely had time to breathe. But I got this chapter done, right?**

**By the way, I tweaked the title a little bit just to fit the theme of this story. :)**

**Anyway, what do y'all think? Was it to your liking? Was it perhaps too cheesy? Is it a bit unrealistic? Mind you, it is going to be unrealistic since this is fan fiction and from the word fiction, it is supposed to be not real. Was that a good explanation of Cat's dad's side of things? I think it's decent but you decide.**

**Next chapter? I'll drop that probably late August or early to mid September. I'm trying to pass my classes so I may not have too much time to work on Chapter 10.**


	10. Chapter 10

**I know, I know. This is long overdue. I'll explain everything at the end. But now...**

**DISCLAIMER: Let's just get with it already, it has been probably more than half a year since my last update. I do not own Victorious, will never own Victorious. Period.**

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><p><strong>Cat's POV<strong>

It's crazy how much stuff can happen in one day, good and bad. That was the day when we finally told our friends that Tori and I are dating. That was the last time I spoke with Robbie during our encounter in the hallway. He kept his distance from the group and I can't really blame him. I just wish he'd understand that I only liked him as a good friend and nothing more. He's still distant from us until now, actually. I hope one day he'll come back to our lives and be our friend again. That day was also the worst day of my life. Well, maybe second to what happened to my mom. I had a confrontation with my father, the man who was responsible for my mom's death. There were screaming, a hard slap across his cheek, and he nearly choked me to death. I was unconscious for a while and I woke up at the hospital. Hours later, armed with a neck brace and a weird headband, I was able to leave and more news arrived when me and Tori were at her house. My dad also committed suicide and left a note, explaining his side of this crazy drama, a note which I promptly crumpled and threw away after reading his reasons for what he did.

I still decided to give him a burial, although I asked to be left out of it. He may have been an asshole, but he was still a man, and a man that dies deserves at least a proper burial. Tori's dad took care of it, so I don't know much about the details, like where he is right now.

You would think that after two weeks, I would have visited him at least once. Well, no I did not. I didn't want to and I don't want to anytime soon. I haven't even talked about it with Tori or anyone else. I mean, I still don't know how I feel about this. Justice is served and all but... I just don't know. Maybe I was just too lazy to type down on my phone how I feel.

There were times were Tori tried to make me talk about it. And she doesn't even try to do it as subtle as possible. She'd always be so blunt about it. Like one time, we were studying history (mostly her reading off the important details from the book and me listening closely) and all of a sudden, she stops reading and asks me how I am doing. I was confused at that time so I just nodded in agreement.

"I mean, about your dad."

I kept silent after that. The only thing I did in response was I grabbed my phone and proceeded to type in _I don't want to talk about it yet_.

But not every day it was like that. I can tell she always tried to avoid the subject but sometimes the question slips out, which I didn't answer. I wanted to but with the throat situation, I couldn't type in a whole paragraph of an explanation of my emotions. Well, I could but I'm too lazy.

Speaking of me being lazy, I skipped a couple of days from school. I was absent for two days because I needed rest. Tori had to attend, though, because she has no excuse not to go. Although she insisted on staying home and taking care of me, Tori's dad said otherwise. Mrs. Vega looked after me while Tori was in school and Mr. Vega was at work and she treated me like I was her own daughter. She didn't even mind that I was living at their home. Even though Tori was in school, I still texted her just because I love her. When I was able to attend school (but I really didn't want to), I was surprised with how many lessons I already missed. I had to skim some of the lessons just to catch up. Tori helped me, of course, being the loving girlfriend she is. The gang also helped out one friday night, where we had a study group. But in the end, we all ended up playing candy poker, where I lost all of my candy to Tori. I let her win this time because I couldn't eat candy with the neck brace and throat problems and such but I didn't mind since Tori has my candy and I'm pretty sure she's going to save that for when I can eat candy again.

During the weekend after the candy poker night, I visited my mom at the cemetery in the afternoon. The whole gang even joined me to pay their respects to my mom. They brought some flowers while me and Tori brought the usual, scented candles. And we all stayed there for a good two hours, just hanging out on the grass, chatting about random topics and me telling stories about my mom. All of us had to leave because it started to pour rain and we didn't have any umbrellas with us. We ran to our cars, Tori even using her jacket to shield my and her head from the rain. We planned to play the second round of our unfinished game of candy poker back in Tori's house but André got a call from her grandma telling him to come home and help her with whatever crazy chore she needed him to do and Beck and Jade already made plans for the evening. So that left Tori and me all alone for the night because her dad was still at work, and her mom was out of town, driving Trina to some commercial audition. If it was for the throat situation and the stupid neck brace, I would have given my girlfriend the make out session of a lifetime. You know, the kind that would leave us breathless and make a mess of the bed. But instead, we just watched movies in her room, snuggled up with one another, a blanket over our bodies to keep us warm.

The rest of the week went by without a hitch. Mostly school was a blur, except for Sikowitz' classes because his are my favorite. Today is Saturday, which means I'll get to go to the doctor and have my throat reexamined. If all goes well, I might be able to stop wearing the neck brace and headband anymore, but I feel that's very unlikely. I mean, it still hurts when I try to take deep breaths. Tori's in the shower at the moment so I'm just waiting in her living room, sitting down on the couch and playing a game on my phone.

"Good morning, Cat." I hear behind me. I look up from my phone and saw Mr. Vega, about to leave for work.

"Good morning, Mr. Vega." I quickly type down on my cell, while my headband voices out the words in it's weird, animatronic voice.

"Still wearing that contraption, huh? I heard you're going to visit the doctor to get your larynx reevaluated. Today's the day you might finally ditch that thing, right?"

"I hope so. It can be such a chore and a waste of time to type down long sentences such as this."

He laughs lightheartedly. "Well, how about this. If your larynx is all healed up, I'll buy you a whole tub of ice cream. You can share it with Tori if you want to. How does that sound?"

I almost squealed my throat dry when I heard the word ice cream. Almost. In my excitement, I just typed the word deal in all caps and an exclamation mark at the end. But both of us were surprised (and possibly scared) when my headband shouted the word deal with emphasis. He just laughed it off.

"Alright, I'll see you later when I get home. Good luck with the doctor." He says as he exits the door and off to his workplace.

"Bye!" I reply with my headband before the door was closed shut.

Not too long after that, around five minutes or so, Tori comes down from her room, beautiful as always.

"You're beautiful." I... my headband says. I could tell her that with my own voice but I didn't want to risk it, especially since we're about to go to the hospital.

"I can't compare to you." She comes closer and gives me a quick peck on the lips. "So, you ready to visit the doctor?"

"Yeah."

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><p>"Do you want the <em>aladeen<em> news or the _aladeen_ news?" Dr. Mays asks me in a foreign accent, not his usual silky smooth voice. I just got done getting my larynx checked and he asks me that stupid question. What does that even mean? I look at him confusedly, getting a chuckle out of him. "Sorry, I got that from a movie I just watched, The Dictator." He says, now with his normal accent. I've heard about movie, but it's Rated R though. I don't like Rated R movies, like Jade's favorite movie, The Scissoring.

"Let me ask you again, do you want the good news or the bad news?"

"Bad news." I type and my headband speaks, hopefully for the last time.

"Your larynx isn't quite fully healed yet, so you have to avoid cold desserts and sweets for a bit longer."

Oh... no ice cream for me today.

"However..." He reaches out to my neck, and proceeds to remove the neck brace. "Your larynx has healed to the point that you can talk without furthering the damage on your throat." Is he saying what I think he's saying? "That means, you don't have to use the headband anymore." Dr. Mays pulls out the headband from my forehead. "Try talking."

"Hiiiiii." Hmm... It's still a soft but it'll do for now.

"Hmm... As expected, your voice is still a little raspy but with proper care and plenty of tea, your voice will be back to normal. You know, you're a very lucky girl. Some cases I've heard of, their larnyx's didn't heal until after 3 to 4 months." He tells me. Three to four months?

"Wow." is all I could mutter.

"Yep. Very lucky Cat you are. Just remember, keep taking the medication I prescribed, avoid cold drinks and frozen foods, and if you feel any pain in your throat, don't hesitate to take an Advil." He advises me.

"Thank you doc."

We exchange goodbyes after that because I can't wait to tell Tori the good news. I leave the room and head for the lobby where my loving girlfriend is waiting for me. She gives me a radiant smile as soon as she sees me walking up to her. I give her a warm hug as I reached Tori.

"No more neck brace. No more crazy headband. I take it that you're completely healed?" She asks, her hands entwined around the back of my neck. I missed her holding me like this.

"No, not yet but I am healed to the point where I can talk without wearing the brace and using the headband and app." I say with my still raspy voice.

"Oh my god! I'm so happy for you. Tell you what? To celebrate, ice cream's on me." She winks, oblivious to the fact that I can't eat ice cream yet. Maybe that's because I haven't told her yet.

"Yeah... I still can't eat frozen foods and sweets. Not until my larynx is fully recovered." I state.

"Aw, that's a bummer." She pouts. "What do you wanna do, then?" She inquires.

"Let's just go back home and cuddle and watch TV." I suggest.

"Sounds like a plan." She takes my hand as we head to her car. It was a smooth car ride back to her house, with us singing songs on the radio. It felt nice to be able to sing with Tori again, even with the current state of my rhythm-deprived voice.

After a long drive, we're back in her house and in her living room. I laid down on her couch with my head resting on her thigh while she just sat cross-legged on her couch. We were watching a game show before she switched channels. She turns on the news but of all the things that would pop up on the screen, this news flash shows up.

"_In local news, police have arrested Joe Darke, a 37 year old man from Bakersfield, in a motel near the outskirts of the city. You might remember Darke was accused for the murder of his own wife and child who both were killed in a brutal..._"

I look away from the TV, covering my ears, not wanting to hear more of that report.

Tori quickly turns off the television. "Sorry." Tori says, her hand toying with the roots of my hair, kind of like giving my head a massage. Actually, it's more like she's scratching my head in a slow and deliberate manner. I love it when she does that. It always comforts me, every single time. "How are you feeling?" She asks all of a sudden.

"Better, if you keep that up." I tell her the truth.

"I didn't mean this, even though I know you love me doing this to you." I giggle as that statement. "I mean... with your dad." She speaks up hesitantly.

"Can we not like talk about him right now or ever?" I mutter darkly, looking at a far corner in the room.

"It's been two weeks, Cat. I just want to know what's going through your mind about this situation. You never spoke to me about it. I'm your girlfriend and I want you to trust me with your issues as I trust you with mine."

"You have issues?" I try to change the topic.

"Well, there's school. That's probably like an issue for every teenager. And... hey! Don't try to change the topic."

Dang it, I got caught. "Sorry." I sigh deeply. I tried to avoid that subject for the past weeks but I just knew it was bound to come up. "Conflicted, I guess. I'm sort of relieved that he's gone, after all what he did to my mom, and to me. Now, I don't have to worry about him trying to kill me anymore. But, I'm also kind of sad. After all, he was my father, and even with all the horrible things he did, I still miss the man I used to remember before any of this ever occurred."

"I guess I kinda understand how you feel. You still love him, well, at least before he attacked your mom that drove her to..." I interrupt her with a death glare because I did not like where that was going. "Sorry."

She was right, though.

"To be honest Tor, deep down inside me, I never really hated him. I mean, sure he was the sole reason my mom... you know, and I hate him for that. But I do still love the man who picked me up everyday from school when I was a kid and would always take to the Freezy Queen in the next town and he'd always buy whatever kind of ice cream I wanted. The man who told me every night before I went to sleep that someday, I'm going to be a superstar and he'll be there in the audience, cheering me on after my performances. The man who once said that 'when you grow older, find the one that would rather have bad times with you than good times with someone else'. How ironic. He wasn't there when my mom and I were having bad times. Plus, I'm pretty sure he got that quote off a song."

"I'd rather." Tori randomly blurts out.

Confused on what she said, I ask, "You'd rather what?"

She laughs lightheartedly. "No. I'd Rather. Luther Vandross. That's the song he ripped his quote off."

"Oh. Would you sing it to me?" I request.

"I don't know the whole song, just the chorus." She shrugs.

"That's fine with me." She chuckles lightly as she starts to sing, her eyes locked onto mine.

"_I'd rather have bad times with you, than good times with someone else._

_I'd rather be beside you in a storm, than safe and warm by myself._

_I'd rather have hard times together, than to have it easy apart._

_I'd rather have the one who holds my heart._"

"That's a beautiful song." I gently grab the back of her head and pull her close, our lips barely touching. "You were there during my bad times. He wasn't." I said before meeting my lips with hers. I can finally kiss my Tori again. Like, real, long, and loving kisses. No more light, chaste pecks. I can kiss Tori without having to worry about losing my breath. Although, she kinda does that to me every time she looks at me with those beautiful coffee-hued eyes of hers. Yeah, I know that sounds cheesy.

Our lips part, her eyes still staring into mine. "How are you feeling now?"

"You know, I actually feel better, now that I've talked about it. No more bottled up emotions. I guess I don't hate him as much as I did, but don't expect me coming to his grave with scented candles and a bunch of flowers. I don't even know where he is." I say with a straight face.

"I can't blame you for that. So what do you want to do in the meantime?"

I sit up and straddle her hips, pushing her back down on the couch, looking straight into her eyes. "Just kiss me again. I missed doing just that." I say sultrily, leaning in closer to taste those lips of her once more. I can tell how much she missed this intense, passionate making out. I know I do too. Her hands are entangled with my hair, pushing me closer to her. I was so caught up on her that I never heard the door swing open until...

"**Damn it!**"

Uh oh.

"Dad, you're home early..." Tori mutters out. We quickly get up from our position and proceed to sit and pretend like nothing happened. Except, something did happen and Tori's father saw it.

"I was on patrol duty when I saw your mom coming out of a Blockbuster. I decided to give her a ride home." He explains.

Mrs. Vega finally appears behind her husband. "Oh hi Tori and Cat. What's going on here?" She asks him.

"You were right, honey."

"Of course I am! I'm always right! What am I right about?" She looks between her husband and me and Tori.

"I saw Tori kissing Cat." He tells her, almost solemn-like.

Then, I saw Tori's mom change expressions from seriously curious to... overly ecstatic?

"**Haha! Woohoo! I told you!**"

"Mom, dad, what's going on here?" Tori asks her parents, both of us confused on what's happening.

"Your mom and I had a bet. Whoever loses has to sleep in the couch for a week." Mr. Vega explains vaguely.

"Okay, what does that have to do with us?" Tori responds.

"The bet was if you two were dating. I said yes, and your poor father over here said no. Looks like he lost." Tori's mom with a smug expression on her face. I look at Tori and her face is turning red from either anger or embarrassment, maybe both.

"You guys bet on us?!"

"Blame your mom. She saw you two cuddling down here a few days ago so she immediately speculated that you two are dating."

"So, you're both okay with it? Me dating Cat?" Tori asks hesitantly.

"Of course! I mean, why did I bet on you two in the first place? You two are perfect for each other." Mrs. Vega states, a blush forming on our faces.

"I love you, Tori. And I just want you to be happy with your life. You as well, Cat. Don't assume that when I said 'Damn it!' earlier, it meant that I didn't want to see you girls dating. I just didn't want to lose the bet and sleep on the couch. If being with each other makes you two happy, well who am I to impede on such a relationship?" Mr. Vega grins.

Tori quickly gets up and gives her parents a warm hug, thanking them for accepting her as she is. I feel like crying too myself, but I hold back. I've been crying for too much in the past weeks. I just sit back and watch the happy family hugging it out.

"Just promise me not to have sex on the couch since I'm going to sleep there for a week."

"**Dad!**"

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><p>January 25th.<p>

One month. A whole month has passed since she left.

I look down on my feet, a bunch of flowers and scented candles are littered around the gravestone. A framed picture of her is also placed in front of the stone. Her face in the photo looks so content. She's smiling rather happily in the photo. And I know, she's smiling with the same grin at me right now from heaven. I smile back lovingly at the sky.

And then there's Tori. She wraps her arms around my waist, her chin resting on my shoulder. When my mom died, Tori had been my rock ever since. She had brought back the smile I used to have before all of our family problems occurred. And I'm pretty sure I'm the reason for her smile as well. I'm not bragging or anything but I have been a loving girlfriend to her. I know that some may think that we're rushing things, but really, I think it was about time. I've had this small crush on Tori for a long time and it just grew into something bigger every time we hung out. And here we are, in each other's arms, filled with love for one another. I'm so blessed to have her by my side.

A tear drops from my eye. Dang it. I'm trying not to cry but thinking about everything that had happened to me makes me very emotional.

"Hey, you okay?" Tori whispers in my ear, a hint of concern in her tone.

"Yeah, just a lot of emotions going on." My voice is still a bit raspy but the throat soreness has waned significantly.

"Just remember, your mom is smiling down on you from heaven. I'm sure that she's happy for you that you're still alive, well, and content."

"I know." I turn my head to look at her. "And I'm so lucky to have you to remind me of that everyday." I can't express fully in words on how I feel about her, so I just kiss her passionately. Nothing too intimate though since we're at a graveyard and this place always makes me feel that every single person buried here is judging me right now. Plus, it's getting dark already which makes the creepiness times 10. She breaks the kiss, immediately leaning her forehead against mine.

"I have something to show you." She mutters.

"What is it?"

"You'll have to wait. It's back at home."

I couldn't though. I say my last prayers and a final goodbye to my mom, before pulling Tori towards the parking lot and to my car. I open the passenger's door for her right as she tried to open the door herself. I go into my side of the car, but as I enter the vehicle, Tori suddenly cups my face and pulls me in for a tender kiss. It was quick but just enough to lose my breath.

We have to go home now. The suspense is killing me. I floor it all the way to Tori's place. Of course I still stopped at red lights, I am a law-abiding citizen after all. But at every red light, I crash my lips to my girlfriend's, savoring her taste until we had to separate courtesy of the traffic light turning green. After what seemed like forever, we finally reach her home. Quickly turning off the engine, I got out of the car and dragged Tori to the front door.

"So what's the surprise? A pet? Is it a puppy?!" I nearly jump at that thought.

"You'll see, but first..." She goes behind me, placing one hand over my eyes to prevent me from seeing the surprise. Tori uses her free hand to lead me inside her house and on her couch. "I'll remove my hand now. But don't peek yet, okay?"

"Fine..." Tori takes her hand off my eyes, while I follow her orders and not open my eyes. I hear her unzip something and then placing who knows what on the coffee table in front of me. Oh my god, what if she unzipped her pants and got naked? Naked Tori... I don't know how I'll react to that. One little peek wouldn't hurt, right?

"Okay, open your eyes."

Well, so much for that little peek. I finally get to see the surprise Tori has for me and...

"Tori, why are you sitting down on your coffee table?" She wasn't naked as I first thought (not that I was actually hoping she was naked) but instead she just took off her jacket she wore earlier, which must have been the unzipping I heard earlier, and is now wearing a Christmas sweater.

Wait a second...

I contemplate the surroundings and suddenly notice the decorations adorning the living room. There were colorful lights hanging on the walls, cardboard cut-outs of snowmen, and most notably, a tree with gift wrapped presents underneath it. It feels like it's...

"Merry Christmas!" Tori declares with arms wide open. My jaw just dropped to the floor.

"Tori! It's already January, though."

"I know that silly. But during the actual day, we were busy shopping and watching movies and making you feel better. I felt like you deserve this proper Christmas celebration."

"You didn't have to do this, really. I was happy during that day. That was already a Merry Christmas for me. You've already done too much."

"Nonsense. Nothing is too much when it comes to you."

My heart... It just melted. She comes down from the coffee table and sits down right next to me. I take her hand in mine.

"How did you even get this done? We had school earlier and we went to the cemetery after that." I ask, since I figure it was impossible of her to do this all by herself.

"I asked my mom to help me out, since she's so into us dating. She took out the box of all of the indoor holiday ornaments and started decorating as soon as we left for school. As for the gifts, I asked the gang if they can pitch in some money for your presents. They happily obliged and now that tree over there is filled with gifts all for you."

"Well, come on Tori." I drag her to said Christmas tree and I sat down on the floor, ready to rip open the gift wrapped presents.

That is until I heard the sound of my stomach rumbling. Tori laughs lightheartedly at my hunger.

"Looks like someone's hungry. Don't worry, I already prepared dinner for us."

"What's for dinner?" I inquire.

"Oh you know, just some of our special Vega family pot pie. It took some convincing, but I managed to persuade my mom to make some for us. She usually saves the pot pie for birthdays and holidays but this is a special holiday for you so she made an exception."

She leads me to the dinner table, which was also decorated with Christmas-themed placemats. I grab the plates, glasses, and utensils while Tori brings out the pot pie out of the oven and sets it down in the middle of the table. We actually finish the pot pie rather quickly. I wish there was more but I guess Mrs. Vega didn't make a lot since it was only us two who were going to eat it. Did I tell you how much I loved their pot pie? Yeah, it was that good.

"That was wonderful. Tell your mom I said thanks. Where is she by the way?" I ask. I haven't seen her in the house since we arrived from the cemetery.

"I asked her and Trina to leave the house for a few hours just so we can have this special moment to ourselves." She leans closer to me.

"Well, we better enjoy this Christmas while it lasts." I whisper, closing the gap between us. I cup her cheeks as I capture her in a passionate kiss.

The presents can wait. Tori is more important right now, and you better believe that we will enjoy this "Christmas" very much.

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><p><strong>AAAAAND SCENE!<strong>

**Finally! Right? Closure has been delivered, since I felt like the last chapter ended on a big cliffhanger, an unanswered question in the form of "What now?". And this chapter was basically that, the answer to that "What now"?. That and I had to somewhat tie the ending to the title, you know, A Christmas Cori (even though it has been two months since Christmas).**

**I really do apologize for giving this last chapter ridiculously late. A lot has been going on in my life right now, it's just been crazy. Okay, I lied. My schedule's not that hectic, and I did have some time each day to write this chapter. So why did it take me this long to finish? At first, I wanted to end it at that last chapter and let you decide how it would work out but I figured that would suck because there was no closure. Then I started writing this last chapter but I kept scrapping this chapter because I didn't like my first ideas for the ending.**

**So after numerous months of wasted words typed on my computer, I finally finished this final chapter that I actually did like. What about you? Did you like this ending? Leave a review stating why you liked/hated(?) it. Maybe the hate will be directed towards my negligence in finishing the story sooner.**

**Anyway, this is not the end for me. I might drop a couple of one-shots here and there. But we shall see.**


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